ReGenesis Evangelion
by kaskip01
Summary: A controversial look at the NGE series under a different setting and with different characters. This is my tribute to the characters, the story, and ambition of the series.
1. Episode One: First Child

A/N: So, what is it you are about to read? This is a blasphemous spin on the anime known as Neon Genesis Evangelion. Why is it so corrupt? Because I restarted the whole thing with different characters and in a different setting. Why in the world would I do that? Simply put I loved the series and I think it's just fine. I have no OOC stories I want to add to tweak the characters. I like the themes, the plot, and characters and felt inspired to write an entire series based on them and adding in ideas of my own. I guess I don't want insult the characters I've come to know and admire. If you read you'll notice I didn't stretch things too far. My versions have similar traits to their Anime counterparts, but I'm sure you'll notice them. Just sit back and enjoy and I'll do all the work. I'll try to have it make sense in the end, but then again this is NGE. 26-28 episodes. W00t!

Episode One – First Child

The lonely black was joined by a red haze far in the horizon. The red sky grew to compensate the darkness and soon overtook it. As the boy sat on the beach and watched to events unfold he noticed the hue of his world change. The sky turned red. The ocean turned a bright tangerine. He became afraid of his changing world. All he'd come to know and understand suddenly became distorted. He did not understand why this was happening and he began to weep for his dying world. Then he heard the rumbling. He looked into the orange sea and saw a pair of soulless eyes piercing through the uncomforting waters. The eyes rose to meet the boy and the boy screamed of fright when he saw the beast before him.

"Help me! Somebody help me!"

He fell on his back as the titanic beast climbed onto the beach. The boy tried to crawl away, but limbs were stiff. The beast looked down at the whimpering boy, kneeled, and reached its giant palm down to grab him. The boy curled up on the soft sand and vainly covered his head and fiercely shut his eyes.

"No! Don't hurt me! Where am I? Somebody answer me! Somebody help me!"

Then he heard the comforting voice of a noble woman.

"David, are you ready?"

The boy opened his eyes and realized he was sitting in a dark room. He felt a warm light against his right side and turned to see an attractive figure casting her voice in his direction.

Earlier that day, David gathered his things into his blue baggage case. That day was to be last day in training. Though he was only fourteen his father, a well-respected scientist and military officer, had ordered him with the duty of protecting the world. David did not care much for the seven days of intense training, but he'd been allowed a few of his things to ease his mind. As he packed his clothes, he glanced at the unfinished model airplane hanging on a dusty lamp. David had been working on it for the past week in place of sleep to keep himself sane. However, two days before training ended he'd lost interest and quit. He looked at the model in disgust. All that had been done was he'd built the wing the tail and the left wheel. The rest was left to the imagination. David grabbed the model in his skinny hands and analyzed it. He scowled at it, curled his lips, and tightened his grip. Holding back his tears, his lip quivered.

"David, it's time."

The stone voice emanated from David's door. With his face turned away, David felt safe in expressing his pain.

"Alright," the boy replied.

David chucked the toy into his trash can on his way out the door with his baggage in hand.

"You're doing the world a noble service," said the stone-like man.

He was tall and resembled David. In fact the man was his father, Commander Daedalus Gillian. On the surface David and his father had many similarities. They had the same brown hair and the same brown eyes. David was a tad on the scrawny side, but he was a growing man.

However, what features they shared hid their differences. Commander Gillian was a great paladin of York-3, but only because his serious demeanor veiled his cold, demanding attitude toward his sons, David and Cullen. David had grown to be submissive because of this and hard a hard time feeling good about his shortcomings because Daedalus was quick to scold David for every mistake no matter how small. Though Commander Gillian tried to tell David he was acting as hero, David still felt no respect from his father.

The two walked down fuzzily lit hall where the only sound was the click of their shoes against the marble floor.

"The enemy has been sighted and you shall be instructed further when you reach NERV headquarters."

A metal door slid open and the two passed into narrow hallway. Commander Gillian stopped at a door at the end and walked through. David heard the hum of an engine and walked into the garage. He saw the armored wagon that was to be his transport.

David looked to his father in the hope that his father would have some kind final words. The man did not flinch. When David did not leave, the commander glared down at his son.

"Go."

David hung his head and slowly turned to the wagon. He picked up his bag and proceeded to walk the long lonely walk to the destiny his father laid on him. The soldiers surrounding the transport took David's suitcase and opened the back door. David climbed in and sat in the somber darkness. David glanced and saw the broad-shouldered figure of his father. Neither said a word and the door closed.

"David, are you ready?"

David nodded and rose from his seat. He hopped off of the wagon and followed the auburn-haired beauty.

"I am Lieutenant Emily Harrison. As you should already know, the enemy has been sighted 50 miles from NERV headquarters and is approaching fast. Follow me and you will be prepared with your plug suit and then be seated in the Evangelion. It is your mission to destroy the enemy and prevent it from reaching NERV headquarters. Do you understand?"

Emily turned to the somber boy, trying to understand his plight. David simply nodded.

"Yes, my mission is to destroy the angel," he responded.

Having met Commander Gillian, she felt sorry for the boy.

"It must be hard living with a man like that," she thought.

Upon reaching the locker room, David put on his plug suit. It was a heavy, insulated rubber suit which made him uncomfortable even when he pressed the switch of his wrist to tighten the suit to form snuggly around his slim frame. He took a moment of silence to clear his head and take a long, deep breath. David then exited the room and found Emily and her colleague Dr. Oliver. They escorted the boy quiet boy into the elevator.

"The Evangelion is a vital piece NERV military and repairs are expensive, so please try to bring it back with as little damage as possible," said Dr. Kate Oliver.

"I'll do my best," responded the boy.

"These are matters of life and death, First Child. Doing your best isn't good enough. Either do it and succeed or you won't have a home to come back to."

Dr. Oliver, who Emily had come to know very well, was a devoted scientist. She was normally a laid back and normal person, but when it came to her career she was all about her business and making sure everyone knew it. Now all three had a mission to destroy their enemy, the angels, and save humanity from the third wave of the apocalypse. All three were quiet as the elevator hum stopped with a disruptive clank. The cage door opened the group of would-be heroes stepped onto the cat walk. As the made their way across the giant open chamber, David glanced to his side to see the beast resting before battle. The beast he saw in his nightmares, the Evangelion.


	2. Episode Two: The Battle Begins

Episode Two – The Battle for Humanity Begins

There he sat in the entry plug of Evangelion Unit 01. His nerves shook. He hand clinched around the controls of the giant robot. His sweat crept down his brow. His fear amalgamated in the back of his throat and David swallowed it down into his stomach.

"Vitals? Check. Now synching."

David tried to remain calm despite the fear coursing through his veins. He glanced at the display screen in front of him. The blinking lights filled the screen and passed the label "critical."

"Check."

"Evangelion Unit 01 preparing to launch," said Dr. Oliver into the intercom.

David felt the monster around him rumble as it was carried to the elevator.

"Unit 01, are you ready for launch?" asked Dr. Oliver.

David took a deep, cleansing breath and nodded.

"Yes."

"Launching Eva."

David's nerves shot as the elevator slung the titan upward. David sunk into his seat from the force and gritted his teeth.

"Good luck, David," said Emily to herself as she watched the giant Evangelion disappear into the shaft. "The world is depending on you."

The force relented and the Eva stopped. David eased into his seat again and looked around his battlefield. It was an open area near the suburbs of York-3. The pilot did not like it for one false step could lead to someone's home being crushed or worse. Nonetheless, this was where he was to meet the enemy.

The Eva glanced from side to side and saw no sign of the enemy until the ground began to shake. David turned toward the hill and saw the enemy, a giant perversion of the human form. It was a dark green beast with hollow eyes. In place of a heart was an opaque red swelling; from training, David had learned that it was the demon's weak spot. David now faced the enemy they called, "angel."

"We have visual confirmation of target," stated Dr. Oliver. "Now, David, attack."

David wasted no time in lunging at the angel. Unit 01 threw a straight right hand that tapped the right shoulder of the angel as it tried to dodge. While the beast was off balance, David threw another punch from the left and blew the enemy in its hunched head. David threw a kick, but this time the angel swayed out of harm's way. David threw another southpaw and the monster ducked. David threw a right hand, but angel side-stepped him and took a step back to create distance. Unit 01 drew back its right hand and threw a wild right only to be caught the beast's monstrous claw. David quick moment of confusion came at the wrong time and was quickly interrupted by the angel grabbing the Eva's collar and throwing David to the ground.

"Get up!" yelled Emily. "You can beat him."

David groaned and tried to stand. The angel ignored the rising Eva and continued it path toward NERV headquarters. David stood and yelled a maniacal battle cry as he lunged in to attack the monster. The monster turned in time to be tackled to the ground right in the middle of the city. David began to relentlessly beat the angel's face, until the enemy reached up grabbed the Eva's face. The angel stood and forced the Eva to cower as it crushed Unit 01's skull. David felt his robot's pain and yelled a shrilling cry.

"David, hang in there! You can beat him!" screamed Emily.

David heard her over the intercom. He forced the pain to the back of his mind and took the controls again. The Eva reached up grabbed the monster's aggressing arm with both hands. The Eva twisted it wrists and the monster's arm was crushed. It moaned in pain and David stood and attacked once again. This time he landed a few more punches and knocked the beast down. David reached over left shoulder and grabbed his weapon. He held it out and a blade extended from handle. The blade sprung to life with frenzy of spiraling energy. David eyed the angel's glassy heart and attempted to impale with his knife, but the angel changed form and slipped between David's legs.

"Dammit!" cursed David.

"What's going on?" yelled Emily.

David's unit turned and the beast leaped at his head. It wrapped around his torso and over his head like blanket. David then saw the monster's heart begin to glow.

"Dr. Oliver, we're detecting high energy reading emitting from the angel's core," cried a technician analyzing the Eva's readings.

"The angel is going to destroy its self and take Unit 01 with him," yelled Dr. Oliver.

"David!" cried Emily.

David yelled in anger as the light brightened.

"Damn you!" yelled David.

The NERV personnel watched in horror as the angel exploded in a mass of energy.

"The angel has been terminated," said the same technician.

"At the cost of Unit 01 and its pilot," said Emily. She looked solemnly at floor.

The room became quiet in realization NERV it's only EVA pilot.

"Wait! I'm getting a life reading. It's Unit 01!" said the technician.

Everyone turned to the giant screen observing the battle. As the smoke and haze dissipated a giant walked from the rubble. The room was immediately lifted as Unit 01 was still alive.

"David, are you alright?" asked Emily.

"Just fine," answered David. "This thing holds up pretty well."

"Of course, it does," replied Dr. Oliver. "It's the Evangelion. But it looks like you've sustained some damage."

"Hey, I did my best."

David smiled. He was thankful to be alive. It didn't matter how much trouble a few scratches were. The world was safe because of him.

After taking a long, relaxing shower and getting into his regular clothes, David felt normal again. He sat in the locker room and thought about the praise he'd be getting from his family and friends.

"Perhaps," he thought, "they'll have a parade in my honor." He entertained the thought of riding around the city in a hoodless convertible. He imagined the throngs of people chanting his name, the confetti rain, and having Miss York around his arm. "This is going to be awesome."

"Davey! Davey!" David turned with excitement as his brother Cullen ran into the room. Cullen danced and ran to his slightly younger brother. "David, you kooky, daring bastard! How are you? What was it like?"

The brothers embraced in a hug and David answered, "It was scary for a while, but I'm feeling better now."

The brothers turned to the door to see their father standing before them. Despite the celebratory mood of the room, Commander Gillian did not look as joyous as his sons. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. During the battle many citizens were killed." The room immediately went into shock. "The official number has not been released for the death toll, but hundreds of citizens have been hospitalized. Homes have been destroyed."

"But, Davey, destroyed the angel. That's the important thing," said Cullen.

"Maybe, but we are to destroy the angels so they don't kill us, not help them."

David stood up, but soon collapsed into the unrelenting wall. He knew that battling so close to civilization would be trouble. "To think I thought I was a hero. I hurt so many innocent people," David thought. David turned his head away from his family. He didn't want them to see him struggle to fight back his tears.

"Does this mean he won't be piloting the Eva anymore?" asked Cullen.

"David will still pilot the Evangelion. He is the only person who can."

"Why?" asked David.

"Because I said so. Now let's go home."

The car ride was long and quiet. Not a word was spoken. As the car rounded the hills David let his head fall against the window and he saw after-battle. He saw the rubble his monster left in its wake.


	3. Episode Three: Home

Episode 3 – Home

After Second Impact, York-3 was built in the higher grounds of what was once known as New England. The city's namesake had sunk into the ocean. York-3 itself was a city in progress. NERV had a built it as a "fortress" to protect against the angels. When an angel would be detected, the city's building would sink into the geo-front where NERV's headquarters rested. Unfortunately, not all of the city was blessed with those capabilities and those citizens must worry in designated shelters.

York-3 was a home to many. The Gillian household was not. The home consisted of three men: David Gillian, Cullen Gillian, and Commander Daedalus Gillian. Friends of the boys often wondered how they got away with normal names unlike the father. This is considered by many to be a rare occasion of the man's mercy. The man was over-bearing and rarely smiled. He was devoted military officer and ran his house as such. Cullen and David, both fourteen years old, tried their best stay out of trouble, but often their best wasn't good enough. David felt more distant from his father, though. Cullen could occasionally carry a conversation, but David had never heard a "Good job" from his father.

David's brother, Cullen, was more outgoing. The boys less than a year separated, but David was the younger. Cullen did his best to compensate for their father's distance. Cullen was usually the one to persuade David into ditching chores to go to the arcade or the movies. David appreciated his older brother's charity as Davey had a hard time relating to the kids at school.

David did not look forward to school the next day. Though he had saved the world, it was at the cost of the safety of his schoolmates. No one knew he was the Eva pilot, as it was classified information, but they would no doubt be suspicious after he'd mysteriously disappeared from classes during training.

"Don't worry, bro." Cullen put his hand David's shoulder to comfort him as they made their morning walk to school. "Everything is going to be fine."

"If you say so."

"Bro, I know so. Man, nobody knows that you're the pilot. No scenes. No reason to get nervous. This'll be like any other day."

Despite his brother's comforting words, David felt no easier. He looked down at his feet as they stepped in front of one another and wondered why they did that. "The mechanics of walking are interesting," he thought.

The two walked into the schoolyard. Gossip was rampant.

"Did you the Johnson family? They lost their market."

"That's nothing. Did you hear about Joey Branham? He's in a coma in the hospital because he was hit by debris."

David desperately tried to protect his esteem by covering his ears, but it was no use. The sharp words pierced through his scrawny hands and lodged themselves in his thoughts.

"Yeah, you would think someone piloting something as big as that robot would no how to do it safely."

"Did you hear the Dwight family?"

"No."

"They lost their nine-month old son. The family was going to evacuate, but before they could reach their son the ceiling caved in on him."

Cullen tried to hold up his brother as David stiffened and dropped to his knees.

"Make it stop. Make them quit."

"David, just ignore th-"

David shot to his feet and darted toward the school building's front door. Cullen sadly watched him run into the building then turned to see the entire school yard had been watching the entire scene.

"What? I believe these are tough times on us all."

Cullen then gave chase to his younger brother.

David found sanctuary in a boys' bathroom stall. There he had a moment to recollect his thoughts. "What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Why do I have to pilot Eva? Why me? Why? Why do I have to do it if all I do is hurt people? Father, why did do this to me?"

David heard a rustling in the bathroom. Though he could not see, he knew it was Cullen clearing the room they could talk. The creaking of a stall was heard. "You're done now. Go to class." David forced a smile onto his face imagining Cullen throwing a kid out of the stall. David then heard a rapping at his door.

"Davy, are you in there?" asked Cullen from outside the stall.

"Yes."

"Are you actually doing something in there are you hogging the stall so I can't use it. I've got to go."

The brothers chuckled.

"Look, Davy, I can't think for you. I don't know what you saw in that thing. I wasn't there. I don't know what you did, but did it because you had to. You may have hurt some people, but saved a whole lot more. Those people are safe because of you."

The bell rings.

"Finish up, man. Class is starting."

Cullen leans away from the door and it opens. David walks out. Cullen places his hand on David's shoulder."

"Are you good to go?"

David nods.

"Okay, let's go to class. Don't forget to wash your hands."

David sat silently observing the class divert their attention from their teacher. The old fart didn't seem to care. He was "retiring" at the end of the year and if the children had no value in their future he didn't see it as his duty to force them to feel that way. He just read from textbook.

"Fifteen years ago during a routine experiment in the Antarctic, a meteorite crashed into the polar ice cap destroying everything in its path. Every member of the crew of scientists investigating the area was killed. The south polar ice caps melted. This upset the Earth's axis, thus creating abnormal weather patterns. This was the event known as 'Second Impact.'"

The students unfortunate to have been listening were witness to torture. A student in the back fell face first into his desk creating a loud thwack that echoed throughout the room. David spotted Cullen laying back in his seat and sleeping. The poor child sitting in front of the teacher looked like his soul had been reaped from body and had become a zombie. David continued to scan the room, ignoring the same lesson he'd heard for years, and stopped on a cute girl smiling back at him. The sudden cute smile startled the young boy, and she responded with a wave. Feeling embarrassed, David awkwardly waved back at her.

That night's dinner was like any other dinner at the Gillian household. Despite being an anti-social, Commander Gillian was a decent cook and the boys enjoyed a warm meal with only the sound of their inner thoughts to accompany them.

"David," said the father.

David's head sprung and his eyes widened in the hopes of a congratulations from his father. This was not that time.

"David, tomorrow you are going back to NERV. Dr. Oliver has some tests she wants run on Unit 01. We have to make sure you are ready for battle next time."

"You mean I have to pilot that thing again?" David shot out of his seat and slammed his hands on the dinner table upsetting the plates.

"Of course, David. You are the one and only pilot of Unit 01 and Unit 01 is all we have at this moment."

"Use the prototype! I'm sure there's someone willing to subject themselves through that hellish training I went through."

"David, you have not yet seen hell yet. There are a great many things to fear in this world and you experienced none of them in those seven days."

"What is I won't pilot it again?"

"You have no say. You will pilot it because you are the only one who can. Do I make myself clear?"

"No, nothing about this is clear. None of this makes sense. Why are you risking my life?"

Though he maintained a low voice as to not disrupt the neighbors, the boys watched as Daedulus' fist began to tighten into a fist. He was angry.

"If it is not within you to risk your life before risking humanity then do us all a favor and walk out that door. Never come back. If you want us to find another candidate, then we will, but I will not raise a son who will not protect his family and friends."

Commander Gillian stood and pointed to the front door of their modest home. David looked up at his father then at his brother. The Commander did not flinch. It was then that David could no longer hide his tears.

"If you are looking for empathy, I suggest you crawl into a cardboard box in an alley."

David furiously tried to wipe away his tears, but when one eye became dry the other would sob.

"Go, before this meal I made becomes soggy with your petty tears."

David hung his head and easily sat in his seat again. "May I be excused from the table? I'm not hungry anymore."

"You may."

David left the table and sought sanctuary within the confines of his room. There he laid on his bed while his brother and father finished their supper.

After dinner Cullen came knocking on David's door.

"David, I'm sorry about what happened at dinner."

David didn't answer.

"Hey, I understand. You know how dad is."

There was no response from inside the room.

"Look, I know I never let you borrow my stuff, but I just got the new issue of Voltage Man in my room and I'll let you have the first read. Come on! Talk to me."

Cullen placed his hand on the knob and swung the door open. Moments later Cullen ran into the den in a fright.

"Dad! Dad! It's David!"

The Commander slowly turned his head, but shown no concern.

"He's gone! David's run away!"


	4. Episode Four: No Going Back

Episode Four – You Can't Go Home Again

"Did you hear about the pilot of Unit 01?"

"Yeah, do you think he'll come back?"

"For his sake, I hope not."

Commander Gillian sat at his helm in a controlling silence. With his elbows on his desk and his fingers intertwined he held his chin suggesting to the loyal technicians that he was in thought. He'd recently lost an important figure in his crusade and a son. Gillian knew not why, or perhaps he wished not to acknowledge why David ran away. Perhaps he feared his own assumptions of his moral character.

"Sir, we've picked up a reading off the east coast," declared a technician from his screen-illuminated seat. "It appears to have an AT field."

Gillian did not respond.

"Is it an angel?" asked the young beauty Captain Emily Harrison.

"We're looking into it now."

The crew gathered around the monitor as the screen flashed "Blue."

"It's a Pattern Blue. It's an angel," said the technician.

"Dammit! Just when we need that boy, he's gone," grunted the captain.

"In times of emergency, there is no need for a coward."

The room turned their attention to the words of the Commander as he stood from his desk. With devoted loyalty, they did not question his words, despite them being against his own son.

The Commander spoke again. "The enemy is only a few hours away. Captain Harrison and Dr. Oliver, come with me and we shall formulate a plan to terminate the angel."

Commander stepped from his helm and walked toward the door and the women followed him closely.

"Commander Gillian," said Emily, "how can we defeat the angel without Unit 01 and its pilot?"

Gillian did not flinch in the face of the youth's question.

"Simple, Captain, we send in the other Unit and its pilot," stated the Commander.

"What do you mean 'the other Unit?' Are you telling me there's another Evangelion here? And another pilot?"

The young captain stopped in her tracks, forcing the other two to follow suit. The Commander simply turned his head to the beautiful doctor at his other side.

"Dr. Oliver, do you mind telling Ms. Harrison of Unit 00?"

Emily turned to her colleague with a look of confusion. She thought about what she had been told and that what she had been told was the whole truth. Now that she'd found that to be a lie she wondered what else the Commander and the doctor were hiding from her.

"Kate, what's going on?"

"Emily, indeed there is one Evangelion. That is Unit 01. But we also house a weapon similar. It is the prototype for Unit 01, Unit 00. The Commander is suggesting we use it instead."

"How can we use it without a pilot?"

"There is a pilot. In fact, she's been waiting for this day for a long time."

The doctor turned to her leader and the two continued down the long hallway to the elevator.

"She?" mumbled the captain.

The captain remained silent for the rest of walk as she could not pick a single question out of the many that were bubbling in her head. The Commander and Dr. Oliver left her standing idly by a sliding metal door while they went to retrieve the pilot. Minutes passed and Emily was suddenly startled by the wisp of the door. Out stepped Dr. Oliver.

"Captain Harrison," said the doctor, "meet the pilot of Unit 00, Anne Raye."

Emily turned her curious eyes toward the door and they were witness to the mysterious girl. She stood in the doorway with her hands held in front. She was a fair-skinned, filling out teenager with wavy, light brown hair. The feature that disturbed Emily, though, was Anne's large eyes that were haunted by a discomforting red hue. Despite Emily's unsettled feeling, the girl looked at her with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, captain," said the girl, holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The captain tried to laugh to make her self feel comfortable.

"You've heard of me?"

"Oh, yes, I've heard about many of your accomplishments and it's an honor to be under your jurisdiction."

Emily nervously extended her hand and grabbed Anne's.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Anne. I'm sure you know of the mission."

"Oh, yes, and I am excited. Where is Unit 00?"

Oliver then gently placed her hand on Anne's shoulder. "Follow us, Anne."

"Where is the Commander?" asked the captain.

"Attending to personal business," answered Kate. "He'll be along momentarily."

Somewhere deep within the darkness of NERV headquarters stood Commander Gillian staring into unsettled crimson waters that reflected across his face. He said not a word.

"I'm ready to go," said the joyful young Anne sitting in her entry plug.

"Filling entry plug with LCL," stated a technician.

Anne's entry plug then began to fill with a yellow-orange liquid. Despite the possibility of drowning, Anne smiled and looked forward to the battle that awaited her.

"Does she even know what awaits her?" thought Capt. Harrison. Emily looked out the window of the observation deck at the giant green EVA. It wasn't as big Unit 01 and as the prototype she could assume that it wasn't as strong either. Still the young, innocent looked unmoved by worry or doubt.

Anne breathed the liquid called LCL into her lungs and it did not affect her. She inhaled it like fresh air. "I'm ready," she said.

A loud clatter was heard and the EVA began to rumble.

"Preparing Unit 01 for launch," yelled the technician.

The platform on which the Evangelion stood shifted backward toward an overhead shaft. When it reached that wall it stopped.

"Launch will be in 5!" yelled the technician.

"Good luck, Anne," said the captain.

"4"

"Thank you, Captain," replied the girl.

"3! 2! 1! Launch!"

Another clatter was heard and the crew watched as Unit 00 shot upward into the shaft. Outside the geo-front, on the surface, the shaft opened. The EVA then rose from the inside of the Earth and stood before its enemy, a primitive crustacean-looking beast. Unit 01 stepped forward and threw a punch, but monster unleashed its main weapon, laser-like tentacles. The whips lashed at Unit 00 at knocked onto its side. The monster used its tentacles to try and whip the EVA, but Anne managed to roll out of the way.

From a rooftop in the evacuated part of York-3 sat the scared little boy known as David Gillian. He was without a home and without a friend to turn for help. He curled his body and hid his crying eyes away from the invisible eyes surrounding him. He heard a thunder in the distance and looked up to see the angel trekking over the hills. He suddenly realized that his home, whether they wished for his presence or not, was in danger and that he must do what needed be done. Then he saw Unit 00. His heart sank as he realized that his existence as pilot was truly expendable. Unit 00 grabbed the angel by the head and pulled back into the valley. Behind the wall of rolling hills the angel wrapped its tentacles around the Unit 00's right arm as it rained on the angel. The angel then used the other tentacle to wrap the EVA's waist. The angel lifted the titan overhead and David saw it was in danger. He stood at the edge of the rooftop and leaped onto the fire escape and descended to the ground. David then ran with all his determination to reach NERV headquarters in the hopes they would allow him save Unit 00.

"Come on, Anne!" screamed Capt. Harrison. "You can beat him."

Anne grunted as she tried to twist her way out of the hold. Then she felt a rush of force when the beast hurled her across the battlefield and into the hillside. The EVA crashed into the hill and NERV's communication was swiped.

"Anne! Anne! Are you okay?" yelled Emily vainly into her intercom.

There was no answer.

"Anne, can you hear me?"

The crew became silent in anticipation of the girl's answer if there were to be one. Then they heard the sound of a new girl.

"Bastard!" cursed the grizzly valkyrie.

Anne heaved a breath and what once was an innocent girl became an enraged beast herself. The Evangelion roared of vengeance, but the angel used its tentacles to restrain the weapon's hands against the wall.

"Anne, are you there?"

Anne screamed a primal cry of fury and vengeance that blasted through the NERV observation and knocked many to the floor. The EVA roared again and the angel used its tentacles to generate an electrical current to shock the EVA. Anne and her EVA screamed in pain.

"You will die, demon bastard!" screamed the girl.

The EVA roared and its hands fought the angel's restraints. The angel continued to electrocute the beast, but Unit 00 refused to give and grabbed the angel's tentacle. Anne screamed for the EVA's pain. Unit 00 smashed its forearm into the angel's head. The angel staggered away, but Anne used its still wrapped tentacle to reel it back into a punch. The angel fell to the ground and Unit 00 pounced upon it. The angel braced itself with its tentacle and generated a powerful blast that threw Unit 00 through the air. As Unit 00 crawled to its feet it reached into its shoulder pack to take out the progressive knife. The angel stood and prepared for the final blow. It crept slowly toward the wounded EVA. It waved its tentacles of high voltage energy in the air and prepared for the final shock. The angel attempted to blanket its self over Unit 00, but Anne turned over and thrust the knife into the enemy's exposed heart. The angel wrapped its deadly arms around the Evangelion in a last ditch effort to defeat it. Anne screamed in pain as she continued to thrust her knife into the beast's insides.

The crew distressed as technician began to cry that Anne's vitals were erratic and they would cease momentarily. The girl heard none of it as she grunted and cursed at her enemy. Anne heaved as her body began to go numb and then the angel's crimson heart faded to black. The surge of energy ceased and the angel fell.

"The angel has been defeated," yelled the technician. He leaped out of his seat and danced.

"How are Unit 00 and its pilot?" asked the captain.

"Unit 00 is fine, and the pilot is fine as long as she gets to the infirmary."

"Well, get her there stat!"

Inside Unit 00 laid the unconscious, but at least she smiled in her dreams.

David leaped over the barricade and ran steadfast toward the surface entrance to NERV headquarters.

"Let me in! I've got to help!" he yelled while pounding on the door.

The door opened and David dove to the side as a crew of mobile infantries exited the inner sanctum of NERV. The soldiers ignored the trespasser as they hopped in their jeep and sped away to retrieve Unit 00's pilot. David backed up against the wall as he wondered what was happening.

"Welcome back, David."

David turned worriedly to the female voice over his head. It was Emily.

"What's going on, Captain Harrison?" asked the boy.

"There was an angel attack, but Unit 00 took care of it."

"You mean the angel's been defeated already?"

"Yes."

The boy turned away to the floor. His attempts to help proved worthless and he was once again alone and without a purpose.

"I thought there was only one Evangelion."

"That's what I thought too. Do you need to see your father?"

"No, I can't face him now. I'm a coward. I ran away when the world depended on me. I don't deserve to be his son."

"David, he's your father."

"He kicked me out of the home. I can't go back."

"I see. Well, David, if you've got no where to go and you don't feel like facing your father yet, I guess you could stay with me for a while."

David heard the words of sympathy and kindness and felt as if he were hearing them for the first time.

"Really?"

"Of course, Davy. I've got an extra room that fits a teenage boy just fine. Just go now and I'll see you there later."

"Alright!" The boy sprung to his feet and darted toward the town. He suddenly stopped and ran back to the amused woman. "Where do you live?"

"215 Pear Avneue. I leave a spare key under the welcome mat."

The boy nodded and ran away again. This time he had a smile on his face as he thought about finally living with someone he didn't view as his father.

The entrance to NERV shut and Emily turned inside and took out her phone.

"Yes, Kate. I've found him. David's back."


	5. Episode Five: Anne Ray, Sweet Deceiver

Episode Five – Anne Raye, the Sweet Deceiver

She opened her eyes to a bright haze. Her red eyes blinked and her head slowly turned to her bed side where she saw Dr. Kate Oliver. Kate welcomed the girl back to the world of the conscious with gentle eyes and a warm smile. The girl watched her observer and smiled.

"How long have I been asleep?"

The doctor smiled and replied, "Not long enough. You need to rest some more."

"Alright," replied the innocent girl. She turned her head away and shut her red eyes.

"Anne, are you there?" asked the invisible man's voice. "I want to talk to you."

"No, I don't want to talk to you," answered the girl as she cowered in a corner of emptiness.

"Yes, you do, Anne. I know you're here somewhere. You're playing games, Anne. You know how I hate games."

The girl covered her head with her arms and shook her head.

"Leave me alone."

"Anne, where are you?"

"Leave me alone."

"Anne, I'm going to find you."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Out of the shadows of her mind appeared the distorted face of a sinister man as he grinned at the little girl. "There you are!"

The girl screamed and she opened her eyes. It was a dream. The girl stared at the ceiling of her hospital room and did in her petrified state could not force a breath from her lungs. She then began to question whether it was good idea to go back to sleep or not.

Meanwhile, on the North side of York-3, David Gillian awoke from a normal sleep, but what would a normal sleep be to him? The wrapped his arms around Emily's spare pillow and hugged it like it was a person. The boy shut his eyes and vainly tried to rest his mind.

The next morning David walked into the humble kitchen to find Emily sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee.

"Greetings, roomie!" greeted the cheery girl. "Hurry and get ready for school."

The boy yawned and scratched his head. "Do I have to?"

"Of course, Davy. After all I am your legal guardian now."

"What?" The sleepy boy suddenly woke up and he jumped as he heard the strange words.

Emily smiled and took another sip of her coffee. "I talked to your father and he has delegated guardianship to me seeing as how he'll be busy at NERV from now on."

"So, he's abandoning me?"

Emily smiled at the boy and shook her head. "I thought you wanted to get away from him, Davy. That's why you ran away isn't it?"

The girl leaned over the table and smiled at the boy. He didn't answer.

"And since you're back, after school you are to report NERV headquarters for a synch test."

"What? I don't want to pilot ever again."

"Once again, why did you come back to NERV yesterday if you did not?"

"But you don't need me. You have Unit 00 now!"

"Unit 00 is a prototype. It's not designed for fierce battle. We were lucky that the angel was so easily defeated." The captain stood from her seat and stepped back into her official duties as operation leader and guardian. "So, you're going. And there will be no questions."

"But-"

"No 'buts' either."

The captain put her hands on her hips and smiled at David. Feeling the sting of defeat, David hunched over and dragged himself back to his room to get his clothes ready.

David sat in his seat amongst his classmates. Some curiously stared at him. After all he'd been taking quite a few days off from school. David curled up in his seat and sank into it, hoping no one would notice even they watched as he did so.

"Davy!"

David sprung up in his seat as the excited came bounding into the room. David was suddenly trapped in a headlock and he felt someone's knuckles rubbing and digging into skull.

"Davy! Where have you been, bro?"

Cullen release David from the hold and Davy looked at his older brother.

"Around," he answered.

"Dad said that you moved out."

"Yeah, Captain Harrison is taking me as a 'room mate,'" said the boy. David awkwardly laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

Cullen took a step back in shock. "You moved in with whom?"

"Captain Harrison."

"You mean that Dad let you move in with that babe?"

David hadn't realized that he was indeed living with a young, attractive woman. Of course, David knew that if anyone offered him a room he would take it to get away from his father. David just had the fortune of Emily getting to him first.

"I can't believe this! Davy, have you seen her naked yet? Do you do her laundry? What color are her panties? Does her apartment smell like her perfume?"

Cullen melted into a cheesy, lustful puppy and David didn't much of an answer.

"Actually, I haven't been there that long and haven't paid much attention. I just sleep in my room and that's it."

"Do you share the same room? The same bed?"

"What? No, we don't. It's not like that."

"It's not like what? Sir, girls like her don't just invite little boys to live with them all the time. I call shenanigans!"

At that moment the teacher made his entrance and a cute girl by the name of Trudy Potter greeted him.

"Hello, Mr. Mansfield!"

Mr. Mansfield, the old man who'd "retire" at the end of the school year, cleared his throat and began his lesson.

"Ahem! First off, class, where did I leave off?"

The students were too busy talking amongst themselves that they ignored the teacher.

"Excuse me! Does anyone want to answer my question?"

David was too embarrassed by his brother to answer. He glanced at his brother as he mouthed the word, "Shenanigans." David swallowed a wad of spit hanging in the back of his throat and stared straight at the front of the class.

"Okay," said the teacher, "if no one remembers where we were, then I guess I'll do the lesson over. It was the year 2000 and there was a scientific expedition to Antarctica."

David realized he'd heard this lesson and smashed face into his desk. He knew the truth about Second Impact. It wasn't a meteorite. It was the first angel, Adam. He and Cullen had to sit through the watered down version of Second Impact for years and had grown tired of it a long time before.

After school, David walked up to the entrance of NERV and swiped his ID card through the reader. The door didn't open. David swiped it again, and the door didn't respond.

"Oh well! It looks like my card doesn't work. There won't be any testing for me. It's a shame. I was looking forward to it."

David looked around to see if anyone was around, turned and prepared to stroll away from duties. Then the door opened. David spun around and saw Emily standing in the door way smiling at him.

"I forgot. Your previous ID card was discontinued and I forgot to give you your new one this morning. Here you go."

Emily politely placed the card in David's hand and the two walked through the door.

David quietly entered the locker room and looked around.

"Is there anyone here?"

No one answered so David walked toward his designated locker. There he found his plug suit waiting. He undressed himself and took out his plug suit. He looked at for a second and began to step into it. David hopped around on one leg trying to slip his other into the suit. Then he noticed the brown-haired Anne Raye standing in the doorway giggling. David's mind went blank trying to figure out at what she was laughing.

"What? Oh crap! I'm naked!"

David clumsily stumbled onto his back and he heard the girl laughing hysterically at his embarrassing scene.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm naked, a girl saw me naked, I fell, and my head hurts. I've felt better."

"I'm sorry. You left the door open. I wasn't sure if anyone was in here. Are you David, the First Child?"

David sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Because you're putting on a plug suit for today's synch test. I'm Anne Raye, pilot of Unit 00."

Anne extended her hand. David quickly slipped the suit up to his waist and took her hand.

"I'm David Gillian. I pilot Unit 01, but you already knew that."

The girl pulled David to his feet then started giggling.

"What? What are you laughing about?"

She pointed to David's suit wrapped around his waist. David then realized that he had the suit on backward.

"Aw man! Do you mind giving me a minute while I fix this? I know you've already seen me, but you know how it is."

"Actually I don't, but I'll go behind the screen and change anyway. That way I can't see you and you can't see me."

The girl chuckled and walked into the other half of the room. She pressed a button and a screen split the room into two. David could see her silhouetted on the screen as she began to take off her school outfit. It was a clear figure as well. He could see the exact of her body and took a long painters' analysis, then remembered he had to change. As soon as he pulled down his suit to turn it around he got a look a distress at what he saw.

"God, this suit is going to be tight."

David fixed his suit and pressed the switch to make it hug his slim frame.

"Are you ready?" asked the girl. "Can I come out now?"

Startled, David sprung to his feet and stood straight as if he'd just been spoken to by a drill sergeant.

"Yeah, you can," he responded.

The door slid open again and David saw the girl in form-fit, green plug suit. He felt a drop of sweat from his brow and he managed to make himself smile awkwardly at her. She giggled.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Actually," the amused girl said as she walked up to nervous boy, "I am, but you need to relax, hoss cat." She placed her hand on his shoulder and turned her eyes downward. David followed her then looked up with shocked eyes when he saw what she was laughing about. The girl laughed and walked away.

"Damn these form-fitting suits!" he cursed under his breath.

As the teenagers walked down the hall, their silence was interrupted by the blaring alarm.

"Alert! Alert!" yelled the intercom. "An angel has been found within close range of NERV headquarters. Pilots Gillian and Raye are to report immediately to the dock."

Anne and David looked at each other and nodded before they dashed as fast as they could to EVA dock.

"Okay, kids," said the Operations Manager, Capt. Emily Harrison, "the angel isn't quickly maneuvering over our heads."

Everyone gathered around as Emily pressed a button to light a 3D hologram of the scene above them. The city had receded below the surface and the angel, a giant silver tetrahedron.

"That's an angel?" asked David.

Dr. Oliver responded, "It has a pattern blue AT field. It's an angel. Don't let appearances deceive you, David. This angel may possess abilities and power we have to witness."

"I always hated geometry," mumbled the First Child.

"David," said the captain, "you are to go up to the surface solo. Anne, you'll stay here as back-up."

Anne nodded as David groaned.

David soon found himself on the verge of battle inside the entry plug of his EVA.

"Are you ready, Pilot Gillian?" asked Dr. Oliver.

"I'm ready as I'll ever be. I just want this over with so I can back home and sleep."

"You can count on that, Davy," said David's room mate, Captain Harrison. "EVA launch!"

The bio-robot shot into the elevator shaft and soon found itself face-to-face with the giant geometry nightmare.

"Okay, it's showtime. What?"

David noticed a twinkle of light that began to grow on one face of the angel.

"Captain, we're reading a high level of energy coming from the angel's AT field."

"What? Can it be?"

"It's an energy beam. It keeps getting stronger."

"Get Unit 01 out of there! Regroup!" yelled the captain.

On the surface, David watched in curiosity of what was happening thus ignoring Emily's pleas to return. The EVA became immersed in light.

"What the-"

The angel then shot a beam of light at the Evangelion that pierced it's abdomen. The Evangelion cried of pain as did David.

"Get him out of there!" screamed Emily. "It's going to kill him!"


	6. Episode Six: Don't Say, Goodbye

A/N: If you are reading this then apparently you are one of the few who will. I just want to say that I'm not particularly thrilled by this chapter, but mostly because it stays pretty close to the original episode. Aside from minor changes and being in my own words, it's almost the same. In fact, I was disappointed so much that I nearly quit this project. Then I realized that people (who probably haven't read thus far) will rant about me not sticking to the original like a young child to a mother's leg, so I'm keeping it to keep them somewhat tied together. That and I needed an episode to build the relationship between David and Anne.

Episode Six – Don't Say, "Goodbye"

"Get him out of there!" cried Captain Harrison.

The fifth angel made contact with EVA Unit 01 with a high-powered particle beam as soon as the two had come face-to-face. David screamed inside the Evangelion as the crew inside NERV's control room scrambled to reactivate the elevator. The ground opened again the elevator carrying Unit 01 descended back to the dock. The tech crew immediately retrieved the entry plug and the unconscious, injured pilot inside.

"Ready Unit 00," said young Anne Raye. "I'll go."

Anne began run to her EVA, but arm of Emily Harrison blocked her path.

"No, Anne. It seems this angel is too powerful for you to stand against. This calls for another means of attack."

Anne nodded disappointedly and turned to Dr. Kate Oliver, who observed the worriedly.

"How much damage did Unit 01 sustain?" asked the captain.

Kate looked over the shoulder of crew member Myers and observed the reading on the screen in front of him.

"The angel's particle beam penetrated three plates of fortified armor. It's a good thing we got David out as soon as we did. The angel would have burned a hole right through him in seconds."

"Captain, the angel is right above us," said another technician.

Everyone turned to watch as the angel protruded a drill from its underside. The drill descended to the ground and began to bore through the surface.

"What's it doing?" asked the captain.

"It could be drilling a hole through the geo-front for a direct hit on headquarters," answered the doctor.

"We'll be annihilated!" screamed the technician.

"Not if we stop it first," said the captain. "How long will it be until the angel makes contact?"

"Well, it has twenty levels of armor to get through," answered the technician.

The room shook.

"Correction. It has nineteen levels of armor to drill through. We have ten hours. We have until just after midnight, Captain."

"How long will it be before Pilot Gillian is ready?" asked the Captain.

"He'll be ready in six hours," answered the doctor.

"Does he really need that much sleep?" said the Captain smiling. "Okay, how long until Unit 01 is repaired and operational?"

"I'd give it three hours," replied the doctor.

"Okay, we're going to get our plans into action. We attack in ten hours," stated Captain Harrison.

"Do you plan on barging in without a plan again?" asked the Dr. Oliver.

"Actually, no, I just haven't figured out what that plan is yet." Emily turned and smiled confidently at her colleague. Though unsure of her friend's intentions, Kate shrugged.

The NERV crew then proceeded to test the angel. They deployed a life-size balloon replica of Unit 01 and it was immediately destroyed. They sent out a remote missile carrier from the hills. It was quickly obliterated. They sent a similar missile carrier, but from a greater distance. The angel blocked the missile melee using its AT field and then quickly destroyed the carrier. This process continued as the carriers distanced their selves farther and farther from the target. The angel stopped attacking immediately and deflected the barrage of missiles with its AT field. The crew deduced that by not attacking, the carriers had gone out of the angel's firing range. However, non-Evangelion had been proven to be worthless against angels and their AT fields.

"So, it has a certain range it can fire?" Captain Harrison asked the technician.

"Yes, but none of our weapons work from the distance."

"We need a sniper rifle."

"Captain, I doubt a man with a sniper rifle is going to do much damage."

"No, idiot, I mean a sniper rifle for the EVA."

"Captain, we don't have one."

"Then we'll get one. The UN military has a prototype."

"What are they doing with an EVA-sized sniper rifle prototype?"

"Don't ask questions. Just thank God that they do and we'll get this plan into action." Captain Harrison walked away. "Get me the UN on the phone!"

The technician propped his elbow on the table leaned over into his hand. "None of this makes sense, but it's not my place to ask questions. 'Do this, Paul. Check the synch ratios, Paul. Do my laundry, Paul.' If she wasn't so hot, I wouldn't be putting up with that woman."

Hours later, Capt. Harrison and Dr. Oliver found themselves looking at giant sniper rifle.

"I can't believe the UN military let you have the prototype," commented Kate.

"Oh, they were sweet. They're really nice guys."

What the captain neglected to mention, though, was she flashed the executive decree to take the rifle. As the men stood in stunned silence, they saw the roof lifted, and Unit 00 reached in and snatched the rifle before anyone could respond to the incident.

"Did you get a shield, Kate?"

"We've constructed one using a few spare parts of armor."

"How will it hold up against the angel's particle beam?"

"It'll last a few seconds. How do you plan to power the rifle? It'd take all of the energy in the region to make it work." Kate glanced at her friend knowing her answer.

"Then that's what we'll do. At midnight New England will shut down and all power will be diverted to powering the rifle."

"Ambitious, aren't we?"

"And when are we not? I'm just utilizing our resources. How's David?"

"He should be waking up at any moment now. Anne is waiting to brief him on the mission."

At that moment the pilot of Unit 01 opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he wondered as he looked around the room. "Am I in a hospital room?" he thought. He looked at his bed. "Yup, this is a hospital bed." He looked over to the countertop at his bedside. "And I haven't got a single flower to wish me well. It figures." David the back of his head against the pillow and tried to go back to sleep. "Maybe I've been dreaming this entire time. Maybe none of that was real."

David heard the door and he glanced to see Anne pushing a cart to his bedside.

"Pilot Gillian, are you awake?"

"Pilot? I guess it wasn't a dream," he thought. The boy sat up and turned to face her.

"Pilot Gillian, I have come to brief you on the mission to destroy the angel." The dug into her back pocket and took out a small notebook and read it out loud. "At 19:00 hours, Pilots Gillian and Raye are to report to the dock to receive their full briefing. At 20:00 they are to launch EVA to a designated area out of range of the angel's firing zone. At 21:00 the pilots will receive further instruction. At 23:30 there will be a major power shut-down all over New England to use the power for the sniper rifle."

"Sniper rifle?"

"Yes, and then EVA Units 00 and 01 are to attack. I've brought you food and your plug suit."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

"Why not?"

"I'm just not. And I don't want to pilot either."

"Why not?"

The boy turned away and curled up in his bed. "I don't want to risk my life."

"That's understandable. I guess I'll do it."

The boy sat up and looked at her, confused by how simply she'd throw away her life because he wished not to do so.

"How?"

"Simple, I'll get in my EVA and attempt to destroy the enemy with the rifle. Unit 00 isn't prepared to combat the angel, so if I miss then I'll surely be destroyed. That means I have to make sure the shot counts. But if you don't want to do it, then that's the alternative. I empathize with your decision and I will do my best in your stead." The girl turned and walked out of the room.

David turned and watched her leave and he immediately felt the guilt of sending her to her almost certain demise. "I can't let someone like her just throw away her life like that. If anyone should die it should be a coward like me. I'll never live it down if she dies by my cowardice." The boy reached over to the foot of his bed and grabbed the plug suit.

"Pilot Gillian," said Captain Harrison, "you will be the gunner." David nodded. "Pilot Raye, you will provide back-up with the shield." Anne nodded. "You will be start here," she said as she pointed to a an area in a nearby mountain range, "five kilometers away from the angel. It takes 180 kW of energy to power the particle to pierce the angel's AT field and takes 30 seconds to charge. Therefore hitting the angel in one shot is crucial."

"What if I miss?'

"Don't. Do you both understand?"

The children nod simultaneously.

"We are sorry to interrupt this program to bring you this important bulletin." Every television in the region switched to a cast of a news bulletin. "At 11:30 and until tomorrow morning there will be a large scale black-out. Civilians are to report to their designated shelters and wait. NERV would like to thank you for your cooperation."

David and Anne sat on a catwalk alongside their Evangelions and watched York-3 began to shut down. The dots of light disappeared into the shadows and the city went quiet in anticipation of its fate, which was in the hands of the two fourteen-year-olds who observed the silence. In the far distance the children could see the angel which was on the verge of breaking the final barrier. David curled up and wondered if would live to see the lights again. He then questioned how was manipulated into this whole mess and wondered how an innocent like Anne was as well.

"Anne," called the boy.

The girl turned her head and answered, "What is it Pilot Gillian?"

"Why do you pilot Unit 00?"

"It is a debt I must repay."

"A debt?"

Anne nodded.

"I don't understand, Anne."

"Don't worry, Davy. Just know that I'll be there to protect you if you need me."

"I still don't know why you should have to protect me. I'm the expendable one."

"No human life is expendable. No one is useless. Some just strive to find their purpose. Yours is a brave one – to pilot the Evangelion."

"Brave? I wish. I'm not brave, I'm a fool."

"You say that now, David, but one day when you're old and grey and you're sitting on your porch of your modest home watching your grandchildren play in your yard you'll take pride in that you saved that home, that yard, that golden sun, and those children."

"What about you, Anne?"

"I'm just following my orders." The girl smiled at David then stood to her feet. "It's time to go, David. Good-bye."

"Good-bye?" David stared at the girl as she stood in the ominous moonlight. He noticed her usual smile had disappeared and been substituted by a forlorn look in her eyes that worried the boy.

"00:00," said the technician. "Commencing operation."

"Sortie the EVAs," shouted Captain Harrison. "David, are you ready?"

David glanced over at Unit 00 and sunk his head. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I'm ready." Unit 01 picked up the rifle connected to a network of several power generators.

"Anne, are you ready?" asked the captain.

"Of course I am," she answered, though she didn't sound as enthusiastic as her words suggested.

"Good luck! NERV is depending on you," said the captain.

"Thanks, Emily. I didn't think there was enough pressure already," said David.

"Sassy bastard," Emily retorted.

Unit 01 turned to the direction of the angel and began to lift the rifle. David gripped it tightly and took careful aim. Then through his scope he saw a light emanating from the angel's face.

"It's going to fire!" shouted a female technician.

"Quick, David! Fire!" shouted the captain.

David froze when he realized what the light was. He hesitated and the angel blasted. David lit up in fear of doom, but Unit 00 stepped in and blocked the beam with the armored shield.

"Anne!" cried David.

"Don't worry, Davy. I'm just doing my job. Shoot it!"

David froze in panic as he watched the shield fall apart due to the power of the angel's particle beam. Within moments it would surely break through and obliterate Unit 00, but David was too petrified to lift his cannon.

Inside NERV headquarters the crew was on the edge of seat as it watched the angel begin to breach the final barrier.

"It's breached the final barrier, Captain!" shouted the technician.

"Fire it, David!" shouted Emily.

The angel stopped the continuous blast and Unit 00 fell to ground having taken critical damage to its shell. The angel's underside then began to light.

"David it's going to fire! Shoot it now!"

David shook the cobwebs from his head and lifted the rifle and aimed. "Center the target and fire. Center the target and fire."

The scope pinpointed the target and David pulled the trigger as the angel prepared to blast. The angel's light weakened as the rifle's beam penetrated its AT field and passed through the other side. The angel life light faded and it dropped to the ground, dead.

"The angel has been terminated!" cheered the technician.

The control room lifted itself and began celebrating a victory in the face of near doom. Captain Harrison folded her arms and smiled.

On the surface, David manually ejected his entry plug and ran to Unit 00 and it's ejected entry plug. David grabbed the seething hot escape hatch on the plug and turned it with all his might.

"Anne! Anne! Are you alright?" David poked his head inside the plug and saw Anne waking up. "Anne, don't ever say that. Don't say, 'Good-bye,' before a mission."

"What?" she asked.

"It makes me too worried. You should know how I get when I'm worried." The boy cried, yet he smiled at Anne.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because you're okay. Why aren't you?"

Though she was the one who was gentle to others, not many had returned the favor. Anne smiled.

A/N:There you have it, reader. I don't plan on doing a chapter with the Jet Alone, so the next addition will be different. It'll probably be a collection of portraits of the charcters in lives seeing as how I have failed to do so thus far. And after that will Asuka which has me excited.


	7. Episode Seven: Life After 2nd Impact

A/N: As I mentioned this is more of a filler chapter, but it picks up some details I needed to catch up on and starts the next few chapters. It's a mix of different scenes all divided by the "" border. I don't normally use borders between scenes,nor I won't use them much from now on, but I thought it would be confusing to switch between cuts without them.

Episode Seven – A Portrait of Life after Second Impact

David awoke the restless night. The smell of something cooking welcomed him back into the conscious world, though David's enthusiasm was slow to push him out of the bed. He rolled out of his bed and walked to the bathroom. There he took a morning whiz, washed his hands, and walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on, Emily?" he yawned.

His guardian looked at him and smiled as she turned over an omelet.

"Good morning, Davy. Did you get enough sleep last night?" she said welcoming him to the day.

David scratched his head and sleepily staggered over to the dining table and sat.

"No," he yawned.

"Why not?"

Davy let his head fall and then propped his elbow on the tabletop to hold his self up.

"I don't know."

Emily hummed and turned back to her stove. The two stayed quiet while the skillet sizzled. Emily grabbed a fork and picked up the omelet and dropped it onto a plate. She turned around and set the plate in front of David.

"There you go, sunshine," she sang.

David picked up his fork and cut a piece of the omelet and ate it. He sneered as the food began to fester on his tongue. David quickly looked to see if Emily was watching his opinion of her cooking and saw she was turned back to the stove. Not wanting to offend her after being nice to him he swallowed the bite.

"Oh, what do you want to drink, Davy?" she asked.

"I'll have orange juice."

"I'm sorry I don't have any."

"What about milk?"

"I think it's spoiled. How about some coffee?"

"I'm not a big coffee drinker."

"It's all I've got right now. I promise I'll buy something else to drink at the store."

"Okay, I'll drink the coffee."

Emily slides to her left and lets the skillet set and sizzle while she grabs a mug and pours the black drink into it. She spins around again and sets the mug in front of David. David stares at his reflection in the coffee and smells it. He reaches for the mug and grabs its body. He immediately pulls his hand back as it burns his hand. David blows hard on mug several times then grabs the handle. David lifts the mug to his lips and takes a small sip. The heat singes his tongue after his taste buds are washed with the tar-like taste.

"Ack!" he screamed.

"Don't worry, David. You'll get used to it. Hurry and finish. You've got school soon."

David frowned and looked at his breakfast. He groaned and picked up his fork again.

"Sir, you have call coming in from Berlin."

Though he did not turn, Commander Gillian acknowledged the man's words. He reached to the speaker phone on his desk and pressed the flashing red button. It was the important call he'd been waiting for yet he dreaded it at the same time.

"This is Commander Gillian," he said.

A voice sighed on the other side of the line and greeted Gillian in a heavy German accent, "Do I not get a cheerful, 'Hello," Gillian? Your usual unhappy tone makes me think you don't really want to talk."

The Commander did not respond.

"Good day, Commander. I understand that you are using Unit 00 now."

"That is correct."

"Why is that? The plan was to leave Unit 00 out of this."

"There was a problem with the pilot of Unit 01."

"Is it still a problem?"

"For now it has been resolved, but I doubt things will continue this smoothly."

"I'm depending on you to make sure your doubts are wrong. The plan must succeed, Commander."

"Understood."

"Good. Now in the next few days I will be sending the next one. It is your job to make sure it arrives in the US."

"Understood."

"Good. That is all, Commander. I shall contact you later with further instructions and do try to be in a better mood."

The Commander did not respond as man hung up the phone. Commander intertwined his hands and laid them on the center of the tabletop. The room went quiet again and Commander returned to his thinking.

David walked into his morning classroom. He set his backpack beside his seat and sat. David looked into his bag and pulled out his History book. He started looking for the lesson so he could answer the teacher's questions. David leaned over into his book.

"What are you reading?" asked a happy girl's voice.

David suddenly realized he recognized the voice and looked up to see Anne waving at him.

"What's up, Davy?" said the girl.

David became so startled he began to shout, but caught himself and asked again quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"I go to school here now." She smiled and sat down in the seat in front of him. "So, what's the teacher like? Is he a good one?"

"If being a grumpy old fart that teaches the same thing everyday classifies as good then, yes, he is."

"I get the feeling you don't like him."

"What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know. I guess I can read sarcasm." The girl giggled and David began reading the chapter for the lesson from the day before.

Anne looked around giddily and waved at students walking into the room. Some looked at her like an alien. Some waved back. Anne waved at a laid back boy on the other side of the room. The boy took interest and got out of his seat. He walked around the back of the class and approached Anne.

"Hello! My name is Anne! What's yours?"

The boy grabbed David by back of shirt collar and yanked him out of his seat. The boy sat down in his place and made it his own.

"My name is Troy. Hello, Anne."

"It's nice to meet you, Troy." Anne extended her hand for Troy to shake and smiled.

Troy looked at the friendly gesture and shrugged it off. "Handshake? Obviously, Anne, you're new around here."

"Actually I've lived in York-3 all of my life, but I've been home-schooled the whole time. This is my first day in public school."

"I see. Well, Anne, as your first new friend, I'd like to offer you my services as an escort. How about we go out to dinner? We'll go to a movie. From there we'll do whatever the passion tells us to."

"Are you asking me on a date?"

Troy sighed. "Yes, I am."

"Oh, well, that would be nice, but I must correct you. You aren't my first friend here. That's actually David."

Anne pointed at the young David who was then standing and dusting himself off. Troy turned and analyzed the competition and shrugged him off.

"Are you kidding me?" he chuckled.

"I kid you not, Troy. In fact, David and I work together."

David suddenly realized where the conversation was going and started waving his hands and shaking his head.

"Really?" asked Troy. "Where do you work?"

David feverishly shook his head and repeatedly mouthed the word, "No."

Anne smiled and replied, "We are Evangelion pilots?"

Troy laughed hysterically. "That's hilarious. Seriously, where do you work?"

Anne cocked her head as she was confused by his reaction. "Oh, I am serious. We are the pilots?"

Suddenly the room went quiet in amazement as David's skin turned pale. Troy jumped out of his seat and his mouth was agape.

"You're the ones that destroyed York-3 during the first angel attack!" he shouted.

Anne smiled and pointed at David, "No, that was just him."

David shoulder twitched as he sank into the realization his secret was out and he could no longer hide his guilt from his first mission. Troy turned around and grabbed David by his shirt collar.

"You hurt all of those people, bastard. How can an irresponsible coward like you be allowed to pilot that thing?"

Troy drew back his fist and prepared to drive it into David's face, but something restrained him. Troy turned to see the hand of David's brother, Cullen, gripped to his wrist.

"Leave him alone," commanded Cullen. "He's been put through enough."

"And neither have the families he torn apart? This bastard's going to pay for what he did."

Troy prepared to level David again, but Cullen grabbed him, turned him around, and leveled him with a punch of his own. Cullen looked up at his frightened brother."

"Are you alright, bro?"

David shook his head. Anne frowned. It was then that everyone turned to notice the teacher had walked in the room only to see Cullen punch Troy.

"Gillian!" he screamed. "Go to the Principal's office. You have detention after school."

Cullen tried to plead, but the teacher refused to let him get a word out of his mouth. Cullen exited the room and David turned to look down at Troy lying down and groaning on the floor.

Emily and Kate sat in the NERV break room sipping cups of coffee. They always had coffee breaks together since they were in college. Kate was the first to be hired by NERV and she made the referral to hire Emily. The two rose in the ranks of their respective departments. On that day they were Captain Emily Harrison, Project-E Operations Manager, and Dr. Kate Oliver, Head of Project-E Research and Technology and as they had spent most of the day brainstorming better ways to improve the Evangelions' fighting capabilities they felt it was time to take a brief concession.

"Kate, I've been meaning to ask you," said the light brown-haired Emily.

Kate perked her ears in anticipation of the question. She liked questions and she loved answering them.

"Kate, who is Anne and where did she come from?"

Kate smiled. "Anne has been with us for a long time. She was a homeless as a baby, and so she's been raised here at NERV. She was the test pilot for Unit 00 prototype and from the information we uncovered we built Unit 01."

"How I didn't know about her?"

"You never asked," said the smiling doctor.

"So Anne has been raised here at NERV headquarters? She's been taught all she knows by NERV personnel?"

Kate nodded. "There are some fine instructors here at NERV."

"I'd assume so. But that means that she's received very little social interaction aside from her instructors."

"That's not necessarily true," said the doctor correcting her friend. "Not only do we have a surprisingly professional crew of substitute teachers, we have many friendly crew members as well -- myself included. I've known Anne since I came here four years ago and I have spent a lot of time her just talking about our lives. Sometimes it's like a friendly bond like you and I. Sometimes it's like we're sisters. Then there are moments where I feel like I'm her mother. She's a good kid."

"A mother, eh?" Emily smirked and took another sip of her coffee. "Did you read her bed time stories?"

"I did. She likes the story of the princess and the pea."

"I never really liked that story. I liked Cinderella."

"I liked reading Tales from the Crypt comics."

The women chuckled at their nostalgic memories of childhood. Suddenly, the door to the break room opened and Anne walked in. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying.

"What's wrong, Anne?" asked Kate.

Anne looked to her friend and confidant. Emily and Kate observed her silence and the pain in her eyes as the young girl spoke.

"I watched a fight today."

The school bell rang and school ended. David picked up his bags and tried to quickly get out of the building. Cullen was in Detention and thus he had no security. He wanted to leave before Troy or anyone flagged him down and beat him. David slipped out the door and started to run for the front gate. It was then that he was caught by a hand on his shoulder. David whimpered and turned around to see Anne.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Davy?" she asked.

"I want to get out of here before somebody tries to hurt me," answered David looking for a brute who could possibly seek revenge.

"What do you mean? Why would someone want to hurt you?" she asked concernedly.

"Because I hurt a lot of people during my first EVA battle."

"Did you tell them that it wasn't your fault?"

"I don't think they'd believe me if I did."

"Where's your brother?"

"He's in detention."

"What's detention?"

"He has to sit in a room and be quiet for an hour."

"That sounds nice."

"For you maybe, but Cullen can't stand keeping his mouth shut. Now we've got to hurry and get out of here before we're spotted."

Before Anne could respond, David grabbed her by the wrist and attempted to her run away. However, as soon as he turned he ran into a black-eyed Troy.

"Where are you going?" asked Troy. "You and I have some unfinished business and your brother isn't here to save your ass."

"Please, Troy, believe me. I know what happened was horrible, but-"

"Shut your mouth!"

Troy pulled back his fist, but Anne stepped in the way in an attempt to end the fighting.

"Stop it now," she demanded. "Fighting won't help anyone. Come along, David. We have no time for these immature brutes."

Anne grabbed David by the wrist and attempted to drag him away. The schoolyard began to snicker and laugh and David ripped his arm free from Anne's grip.

"No, I'm sick of running," he said. David looked to Troy with a menacing glare. "I'm going to stop this now."

Troy laughed and waited for David's backbone reel him closer. David breathed deep and rolled his sleeves. Troy cracked his knuckles then David made a full charge to the boy.

Then things went black.

Anne took her seat in Commander Gillian office alongside Emily, Kate, and a bruised David. Commander paid no mind to his son's groans.

"Did you win?" whispered Kate.

David looked up with swollen right eye and bruised right cheek and shook his head.

"I'm sure you are wondering why I've brought you here," said the Commander. The group stayed quiet in anticipation of their mission. "Tomorrow morning the UN is shipping Evangelion Unit 02 guarded by the UN's naval fleet. It is your job to meet them along their trip across the Pacific Ocean and make sure it and the pilot get here safely. Do you understand?"

Anne, Kate, and Emily nod, but David seems confused.

"Unit 02? Another pilot? Who?"

The Commander looked at his son and answered, "A girl by the name of Asuka Langley Soryu."


	8. Chapter Eight: Anta Baka

Episode Eight: Anta Baka

The helicopter chopped through the mist-blanketed air. David, Anne, and their guest Cullen watched below as the helicopter's dot-sized shadow crept along the ocean's surface. The waves lapped over the water's blue face and the body stretched as far as the kids could see. Emily grinned at their excitement. Most notable for enthusiasm was Cullen who not only was riding in a helicopter over the ocean for the first time, but was also riding with the captain herself.

"I'm so glad you let me come along, Captain Harrison," he said. "I promise I won't bother you much."

Emily giggled at the boy's obvious infatuation. "Oh, it's no problem. You are the son of the commander and the brother of the pilot of Unit 01 after all so it wasn't hard yanking anyone's strings."

"So, what's this other pilot like?" asked the excited teenager. "What's her name again? Ass-you-ka?"

Emily giggled again. "For one thing her name is pronounced 'Oss-ka,' and if she heard mispronounce her name she'd skin you."

"So, she's that kind of German?"

"No, she's a sweet girl."

"Let me see that picture again, David."

Without waiting for an answer, Cullen yanked the classified folder out of David's weak hands. Cullen stared at Asuka's picture for a few moments before continuing with his drabble.

"She looks cute, but she's European. I'll bet she doesn't bathe and she doesn't shave her armpits. Hey, David, I hear European women like American guys. Maybe you might have a shot since your both EVA pilots."

Cullen teasingly nudged his younger brother, but David didn't quite know how to respond to such a suggestion. He quivered and blushed while Anne confusedly watched the brotherly play.

"Why are you hitting him with your elbow and laughing at him, Cullen?" Anne asked. "He is not enjoying it."

Cullen relented and glared at innocent girl, unknowing of how to answer to her sheltered life.

"I'm just teasing him," he said. "I do it all the time. David's pretty good for being teased."

"He doesn't seem to enjoy it."

"That's because he needs to loosen up and have some fun. He pilots a giant robot. That's a babe magnet and he still mopes."

"You do not know the emotional burden of piloting an EVA. Maybe he'd have more fun if you stopped jabbing in the side with your elbow."

Cullen let out an exasperated, "Sheesh!" and sat back in his seat with arms folded behind his head. Emily giggled again at the event. However, David didn't look pleased at all about being embarrassed again. It wasn't enough that the one time he stood up for himself that he was beat up almost single-handedly. Now Anne was defending him from such minor things as childish teasing.

The helicopter cut through the mist and discovered the large naval fleet below. The kids watched in awe as the copter circled around the fleet looking for a spot to land.

"Here's our stop, guys!" announced Emily.

A small group of shipmates cleared a spot on the flagship, the Durante, and the helicopter hovered in slowly to land. The kids and the captain stepped off the aircraft and met an escort to take them to the captain of the ship. Anne looked around and noticed a young, red-headed girl wearing a yellow sundress watching them from the sun deck.

"Since when do I have to give up control of my fleet to a delicate woman like you?" barked the captain of the fleet to Emily.

"Since I stepped on board," she replied. "I have with me a document you must sign, giving all control over all operations to me until Evangelion Unit 02 reaches York-3."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then that's fine. However, if something goes wrong and there's an emergency, my authority overrides yours."

"Is that so?"

Emily politely nodded. The captain muffled something under his breath while Cullen admired from behind the EVA pilots.

"Well, there won't be any need for your authority because whatever emergency there is my Navy can handle it. You just sit back and fix your nails or play with your hair. Do whatever it is you girls do."

"Can do, sir!" Emily said smiling. "Now where is the pilot of Unit 02?"

"I hope that she's not harassing my sailors."

"It sounds like she hasn't changed."

"I beg to differ," dared a voice behind them. The group turned to see the fair-skinned redhead standing in the doorway. She stood tall with her chest out and he hands on her hips. She wore a daring grin that hinted her personality much like her long red hair, weaved through two red holders shaped like balls. She calmly raised her hand and wafted her off of her shoulder.

"Well, it looks like you have," said Emily having been corrected. "You've grown up a little."

"I've done more than grow, Captain Harrison," said the redhead. "I'm smarter, I'm stronger, I'm more mature, and, as you can see, my form has filled out."

"As if you didn't know by now," said Emily, "I'd like you to meet the pilot of Unit 02 – Asuka Langley-Soryu."

"Charmed I'm sure," said the confident Asuka. Asuka turned and looked Cullen, who was staring at her in amazement of her beauty. Asuka's grin flipped to an irritated frown. "Don't tell me he's a pilot."

"Then it's good that he's not," replied Emily. She gestured to Anne and David and said, "However these two are."

Asuka switched her critical glare to the two pilots and analyzed them physically. She didn't think Anne looked like much of a pilot when waving like an idiot.

"Hello, Asuka. My name is Anne Raye. I pilot Unit 00."

Asuka stared her for a few boring moments then traded off to David, who was quite bashful to be meeting her.

"Who's this baka?"

David looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. "What?" he asked.

"That's the pilot of Unit 01, David Gillian," said Emily.

"It's just as I thought," she declared. "It looks like I'll be saving your butts from the angels with my extraordinary piloting ability."

Anne's enthusiasm to wave faded. David just let his head fall and took a step back.

"Now, Asuka," said Emily, "it's not fair to judge them before you see them in action. They could be better than you."

Asuka began to answer, "How can that be po-"

"Don't be so arrogant, Asuka," said a tall, bearded man entering the room. "After all, they are your teammates."

The old man held his hands behind his back and proudly stood before the group wearing his decorated German military uniform.

"What are you doing here, Commander Langley?" asked Emily suspiciously.

"I'm escorting my daughter to America. I have business to discuss with your Commander." Commander Langley presented himself as an important person in both his dress and his general appearance. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with gray hair, though he looked to be in his late thirties. He stood straight and looked down at the group of children and one woman with a smug grin. "Which one is the son Gillian?"

Both Cullen and David raised their hands.

"I brought both with me," said Emily.

Commander Langley's grin turned to an indifferent frown. "I see, but only one pilots an Evangelion."

"That would be David," declared Cullen smacking his brother on the back. David stumbled forward and nervously bowed to Commander Langley.

"I'm honored to meet you, sir."

"Well, that's cute. What do you think Asuka?"

"I think he's beneath me. He's got miles of work to do to catch up with me." Asuka folded her arms and turned her nose in the air above David.

Cullen interjected himself in Asuka's snobbish behavior with an accusing finger. "What makes you so special? You've never faced an angel. David's already defeated two. Everyone knows that the testing in the simulators is nothing compared to actual battle."

Asuka glared at the finger pointed in her direction and scowled. She swiped her hand in front of her face an ensnared Cullen's index finger and began twist it. Cullen yelped as Asuka reeled him into a lightning quick and thunderous back-hand slap across his face. She then grabbed David by his wrist and dragged him out of the room.

"Where are we going?" asked the distraught boy.

"I'm going to show Evangelion at its greatest achievement."

Commander Langley watched amusedly as Asuka dashed out the door with David in tow. He then turned back to Emily. "Did you bring the external power supply in case of emergency?"

Emily nodded.

"Then come with me. You must be hungry after such a long trip." The Commander turned and walked out the cabin door followed by Emily, Anne, and Cullen.

"Actually seeing all this water makes me really want to go to the bathroom," whined the pilot's brother.

The group sat in the ship's dining room waiting for their food. Cullen was anxious and moaning about his growling stomach.

"When are we going to eat? I can't wait! Augh! I'm going to die!"

Anne, however, was patiently waiting, but she wondered if Cullen's whining was true or brilliantly bad acting. Emily sat across from Commander Langley and started drawing comparisons in her mind between Langley and Gillian because of Langley's sitting position that was eerily similar to her boss'.

"How long have you been a part of NERV?" she asked.

"Since its inception as GEHIRN," he answered. "In fact I was the one who hired Gillian."

"How long have you known him?"

"We were fraternity brothers. He may not act like it anymore, but he used quite a party boy. I studied abroad in the United States for my doctorate as Daedalus was returning from military duty to finish his degree as well. When I finished my studies I returned to Germany and met my current wife Kyoko Soryu. Then Second Impact happened. People died. Lives were lost. My colleagues and I put our money and our minds together to prevent such an event from reoccurring. Thus GEHIRN was formed and we divided it into several branches. Of course, we kept one in Germany where we developed Unit 02. We opened one in Tokyo-3, Japan. There are small bases in England and Australia. There was one in Russia, but it was liquidated into a remote base for Germany. I took a trip to the US while Kyoko was pregnant to open the US branch. There I reunited with Daedalus and he told me he was expecting a son as well with his wife, Sarah. We reminisced and I found he had the same ambition as I – to prevent Third Impact so I put him in charge of the US branch of GEHIRN which soon became NERV."

"You know each other that well?"

"Well, I knew him the way he was back then. After Sarah passed away he became remote and buried himself in his work. It's a shame."

"I see."

"I'm sure you do."

The waiter arrived and set a plate of steamed crab in of the Commander. He rotated around the table and set a "special request" cheese pizza in his place. Anne ordered a modest soup while Emily dined on lobster and a cup of coffee.

"Where are you taking me?" asked David.

"You'll see, Third," answered Asuka.

"Third? But I'm the First."

"No, that's what those Americans told you. That doll is the first as she was used on the prototype. I was the second to be chosen. You are the third."

David shook his and exclaimed, "Nobody tells me anything!"

Asuka and David approached a door at the end of the hall and Asuka opened it.

"Behold!" she exclaimed.

"It's a sheet," said David observing it was a heap covered by a manilla tarp.

Asuka swiftly smacked David on the back of the head. "Dumbkoff!" she yelled. "It's under the tarp. Asuka gracefully ran across the bridge over the water surrounding the tarp. David followed timidly as Asuka pulled back the head of the tarp. "Behold Evangelion Unit 02!"

"It's red?" said David. "I didn't know it was red."

"What did you expect? Turquoise?" said Asuka. She then climbed on the back of the sleeping giant's head. "This is Evangelion Unit 02, the latest in the Evangelion series and the most powerful weapon on Earth."

David just looked at it unimpressed. "What's so great about it?"

"Shut up, baka, and let me finish!" she screamed. "As I was saying, Unit 00 and Unit 01 are prototypes, but Unit 02 is the first official Evangelion and the first true one. What they lack, Unit 02 compensates. Unit 02 is the most powerful weapon in the fight against the angels."

"That's nice."

Asuka's face turned cherry red and her hand balled into fists. "How dare you mock Unit 02? When I get down there…" Asuka grunted and slid down the monster's head, but lost her footing and tumbled to the platform below with a thump. Asuka groaned and rubbed her lower back then looked up at David who was just staring at her. She then realized what was going on and she sprung to her feet and furiously pulled down her skirt. "Pervert! This isn't free show! First you make fun of my Evangelion then you take a cheap look up my skirt! You're lucky you're a pilot, or I would kill you, anta baka!"

"What does 'anta baka' mean?"

"Learn Japanese, idiot."

Suddenly the ship shook and the two pilots fell in the water around the Evangelion.

"What was that?" asked David.

"Undersea shock wave."

David then started to quickly swim to the solid floor of the room.

"Hey!" yelled the angry, wet German girl. "Where are you going? Get me a towel, idiot. I'm wet."

Outside the group of Commander Langley, Emily, Cullen, and Anne watched as a giant tore through two of the fleet's warships.

"What is going on?" yelled the captain of the fleet.

"Gaghiel, Angel of the sea," mumbled Langley.

Emily quickly turned to the captain and answered, "It's an angel, sir. Hook up the external plug."

"I'm not allowing that thing to be operated at sea. My men will take care of it."

"It will be no use. The only thing that can stop the angel is the Evangelion."

On another ship the two soaked children ran to the side of the ship facing the action and they realized the same conclusion.

"It's an angel!' said David. "We've got to do something."

"To the Evangelion! Today we battle!" Asuka declared.

She grabbed David by the hand and dragged him back to the Evangelion, but first she grabbed her plug suit and a spare for David.

"Put this on," she ordered.

"Is this a girl's-"

"PUT IT ON!"

Asuka turned and entered a stairwell, with David close behind.

"Stay here, or I'll cream you," she said shaking her fist in David's face.

Asuka quickly ran down two flights to be out David's sights so she could change. David looked at the spare suit and submissively began undressing. Asuka quickly got out of her wet dress and began to put on plug suit.

David put his suit on halfway and then leaned over and yelled down Asuka, "Hey, Asuka! This is a girl's-"

"Pervert! I'm changing!"

Though she had her suit almost fully on, David jumped back and zipped his suit up the rest of the way.

"Why are all boys such perverts?" she muttered.

Asuka zipped up her suit and pressed the button on her wrist to tighten the suit to her body.

"Alright, Asuka," she thought to herself like a coach. "It's time to show them what you're made of."

Back on the flagship, Emily and the captain battled over the PA microphone. The captain yanked it out of Emily's hand and screamed into it, "Hit it with everything we've got! Destro-"

Emily pointed into a bare part of the room and said, "Look! An island native woman!"

The captain turned his head and fell for the diversion so Emily could snatch the microphone. "Sortie the external Evangelion plug!"

"What are you doing? This is my fleet!"

"Not anymore! This is NERV's fleet now."

Suddenly the intercom buzzed to life. "Captain, the Evangelion is activating."

"What? Those kids… STOP THE-"

"Go Asuka!" Emily cheered.

Inside Unit 02 Asuka began checking pre-launch procedures in German. David just looked around like a lost child. The entry plug began the neural synch test, but something went wrong.

"What's going on?" asked David. "What's wrong?"

"Your head, idiot," she yelled. "Everything's in German, so think in German."

"Okay," David responded. He then tried to think of random German words he'd picked up off of television. "Um… Strudel… Bratwurst…"

"Stop it!" Asuka screamed. "You're embarrassing me. I'll change the controls to American."

Asuka dialed in a collection of buttons and the alerts cleared.

The beast under the manilla tarp began to rise to its feet. The kids looked out to the sea to see the giant wave heading in their direction. With a mighty leap Unit 02 jumped in the air as the wave ripped through the ship. Unit 02 landed on the nose of a nearby ship standing tall like a heroic statue and the tarp wrapped around it like a cape.

"Asuka," said Emily into the com-link with the Evangelion, "the external plug is ready. Do you see it?"

"I do."

"How are we going to get to it?" asked David.

"By jumping, of course," she answered confidently.

Unit 02 threw off its cape as the wave rushed toward them again. Just as it was about to make contact, Asuka leaped to the next ship, then to another. On the flagship the captain watched in horror as his ships began to be destroyed. Unit 02 landed on the flagship, shaking almost cap-sized. Asuka grabbed the plug and inserted into the back of Unit 02 with minimal time left in the limited battery. The angel u-turned and headed for Unit 02.

"It's heading straight for us. How are we going to beat it?" asked David.

Asuka reached into the holster on Unit 02's shoulder and pulled out her progressive knife. "This'll do," she answered.

Instead of ripping through the ship, the angel surfaced and leaped onto the ship's deck. It was Leviathan-like beast straight out of a novel. Asuka dropped the progressive knife in the water and wrestled with the angel instead. She vainly tried to lift it as the ship tilted over. Then Unit 02 lost its footing and tumbled into the ocean with the angel. Unit 02 grabbed Gaghiel by the nose and was carried into the ocean depths.

"Go get 'em, Asuka," cheered Emily.

Commander observed the events with a troubled countenance. "Unit 02 can't handle undersea battle with its B-type equipment."

"Oh crap!" cursed Emily. "What do we do we know?"

"It's in God's hands now," said Langley.

"That's not good enough," said Emily and she stormed off to think of a plan.

Under the ocean's surface Gaghiel carried Unit 02 and the pilots inside deep into the water as the cable on the external power supply quickly unraveled on the flagship's deck. Suddenly it came to the end of the line Unit 02 was jerked off of the beast.

"Now we duel," Asuka declared. She throttled her controls, but nothing worked. "What's going on?"

"Apparently your EVA doesn't work underwater," said David.

"What? Nonsense. Unit 02 is a perfect fighting machine."

"Then explain why it's not working now," David angrily yelled in Asuka's ear.

"I'll think of something, Third. This is my Evangelion and I'll find a way to get us out of this and defeat the angel."

"Well, think of something fast because the angel's heading straight for us."

David pointed ahead and the two saw the angel swimming like a shark toward their lifelessly floating body. It opened its massive jaw showing its razor sharp teeth.

"Teeth? It has teeth?" Asuka asked worriedly.

"All the better to eat us with," David said as leaped over Asuka's shoulder and grabbed her controls.

"Hey, pervert, get your head out of my lap!" yelled Asuka as she beat him on the head. "This is my Unit 02!"

Cullen observed the cable connected to the external plug and started comparing it to one of his leisure activities. "It's like fishing."

Emily heard Cullen's words and saw the same thing. Then she was struck with an idea. "It is! I have a plan! Everyone get off the ship immediately."

The captain was startled by Emily's order and asked what was going on.

"Captain, I'm sorry, but everyone needs to evacuate this ship and the one beside us. We're going to sink them and feed them to the angel."

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes, but it's the best plan we've got. When the ships sink, Unit 02 will open the angel's mouth and the ships will go into the angel's mouth. There we will remotely destruct them causing an explosion and destroying the angel. Now get off the ship."

Inside Unit 02 Asuka pulled David's hair as he fought to control her Evangelion.

"Get your hands off my EVA, dumbkoff!"

Asuka continued to beat David as Emily's voice sounded through the com-link.

"Asuka, I need you open the angel's mouth. We're going to reel you in and sink two ships into the angel's mouth."

"Aye aye, captain!" said Asuka. "Will do once this idiot lets go of my controls."

"You have no idea what you're doing," said David. "You're the one who got us in this mess in the first place."

"Nonsense! Now give me the controls."

"Hell no!'

The two looked to about ready to strangle each other until they noticed the angel engulf them into its mouth.

"Look where we are now, First! We're in its mouth because of you," said Asuka.

"Shut up!" said David. "I've got to open this thing's mouth."

"The only person who's going to shut his mouth is you. This is my Evangelion."

On the surface of the water, the crew of the flagship and the nearest carrier evacuated into the life boats. The captain groaned as the ship began to submerge. The cable continued to reel in Unit 02 as the children fought over who would take controls.

"Fine, baka! We'll do it together!" Asuka firmly gripped her hands around David's to handle the controls with him. "Don't get any ideas."

"This isn't the time."

As the pressure decreased on the EVA the controls began to work. It awoke inside the angel's mouth and braced its hands against the roof of the beast's mouth and it jaw.

David muttered, "Open. Open. Open."

Asuka grunted and did the same as Unit 02's back lured the angel closer and closer to the sinking ship. "Open. Open. Open."

With seconds to spare Unit 02 forced open the monster's jaw and the ships drove right into its mouth.

"Detonate now!" demanded Captain Harrison.

Under the surface the ships began to explode inside the angel's belly. Its body swelled with the force of hundreds of explosions until its body exploded itself. On the surface the crew watched as the explosion resulted in a geyser of water soaring hundred of feet in the air. On the nearest carrier Unit 02 landed gracefully on the deck then collapsed due to lack of power.

The remaining ships in fleet made into land with Unit 02 still intact. Dr. Oliver was there to meet them and she picked up Emily to review the mission.

"The sixth angel has been destroyed," Kate reported. "Commander Gillian wanted me to congratulate you."

"I hate the ocean. I hope that's the only angel we have to fight in water."

"So, the Commander from Germany is as well?"

"Yes, he's left already for headquarters to see Gillian. I wonder what he's here for."

"I can tell you this, Gillian won't be pleased."

Asuka left the board as she took her first step in the United States. She looked around in anxious as Anne and Cullen.

"It's not great as it looks on television," she declared as she put her hands on her hips and walked away.

Cullen and Anne turned to see David as stepped onto land still wearing Asuka's spare plug suit.

"David, you have…" yelled a shocked Cullen as he pointed to the breasts sewn into the suit.

"I know," said David embarrassingly as he turned his chest away and covered himself with his arms.

Back at NERV headquarters Commander sat quietly in large, open office. He watched the door patiently and soon his flinchless worry was answered by the click of it opening.

"Hello, Gillian," said Commander Langley. "It's been a long time. Are you sure your office this office is big enough or could you make it seem lonelier?"

Gillian did not answer.

"Do I not get a warm welcome? After all I bring you a gift."

Langley produced a large ornate, black box that he set on Gillian's desk.

"I trust you'll be satisfied by finding this as it is a key to the plan."

Langley wrapped his hands around the front of the box and flipped the latches. The box cracked open and Langley gently eased it open. Gillian looked inside and saw what looked like a hand-size human embryo.

"Adam," Gillian said.


	9. Episode Nine: The Thread That Binds Us

Episode Nine – The Thread That Binds Us All

David let his head crash into his desk. He'd been up all night doing synch tests for Kate, and after a continuous weekend of combat training David was ready for rest even if it was to be during class. David was satisfied that it would be a good time considering the pilot of Unit 02 had been insulting his abilities as a pilot all through training and we was free of her oppression when at school. David closed his eyes and quickly dozed off.

"David," said a soft voice, "are you awake?"

David opened his eyes and looked up to see Anne turned around in the seat in front of him.

"David, did you hear about the pilot of Unit 02?"

David groaned as he had no desire to listen to anything having to do with Asuka Langley-Soryu. David shut his eyes and let his head crash against the desk again.

"Hey, David!" said a more excited boy's voice.

David felt a hard slap against his back and his head shot up from his slumber. Cullen leaned in between Anne and David and grabbed the desk to shake David to consciousness.

"So, what's she like?" the curious Cullen asked.

David's senses quivered and he tried to keep his head up long enough to talk.

"What's who like?"

"That cute red head."

"What i cute /i red head? Asuka?"

Cullen nodded.

"She's rude and arrogant. She wouldn't let me even change behind the screen door in the locker room because she said I would still peek at her. Then I tried complimenting her on performance in training and she insulted me and walked away. At least she doesn't go here and I'm free from her for now."

"David," said Anne. "There's something I need to tell-"

Anne was quickly interrupted by the teacher. "Students, we have new student today so I want you all to make her feel welcome. Everyone meet Ms.-"

The teacher himself was quickly interrupted by the red-headed girl. "My name is Asuka Langley-Soryu," she announced after she quickly wrote it on the chalkboard. "Read it. Learn it, children. I pilot Evangelion Unit 02 and I am a better one than those other two over there."

Asuka pointed at the two surprised pilots and Cullen.

"Any questions?"

A random boy foolishly raised his hand. "What's with the accent? Are you British or something?"

Asuka balled her fists and turned a swelling red to rival the color of her hair. "I'm German, you twit!"

The boy cowered in his seat as the class continues watch in startled silence. David palmed his face, closed his eyes, and dropped his head back to the desk.

Their feet clicked against the marble floor as the two Commanders, Gillian and Langley, walked down the hallway discussing their lives under the hazy, fluorescent lights.

"Daedalus, how goes the plan?"

"It goes well, Franz."

"I would expect no less of you."

"Indeed you shouldn't. How are things in Germany?"

"They are the same as they always have been. They are no better than before yet they never worsen. You should know, Gillian, of how the human life is so drab, yet ironically we think of it with importance."

Gillian glared out of the corner of his eye at his colleague. A feeling of disgust coursed through his veins as he squeezed his fist at his side. Gillian averted his eyes before Langley noticed. Langley grinned. Gillian wondered if he'd noticed his subtle change in emotion, but mattered not if he did.

Asuka and David were called out of class for an emergency. When they arrived at NERV their EVAs were braced against jets designed to quickly fly the giants across great distances. It was this time when they were sent to the coast of what was once was a large city in New Jersey. Units 01 and 02 were released and given their artillery. David took a large rifle while Asuka proudly took a sword to be her weapon. The children on the edge of the waters and gazed into the distance as what was left of sky scrapers fades into the ocean's depths.

"This is a shame," stated Asuka. "Why does my debut in America have to be a two-on-one fight? That's not fair."

"This is about survival, Asuka," answered Emily over the com-link. "It doesn't matter if it's fair."

Asuka shrugged her shoulders and whined. "But these people will never see how good I am if stupid David over there is there to taint my win."

"It's standards and procedures," answered David before being interrupted by Asuka's sharp tongue.

"I know it's standards and procedures, dumbkoff. It's just not fair."

"Not all life's fair," said David.

Asuka chose not answer with nothing other than a growl and an aversion to the never-ending sea.

As the children watched the waters, something rose from the watery graveyard. It mocked the human form being bi-pedal yet it had no likeness of a head and neck. Over its heart set the weak point.

"Prepare for simultaneous strike," commanded Captain Harrison.

Asuka was taken aback by the captain's orders. "You mean we're going in at the same time?"

"Yes."

"Screw that. I'm getting this over with and going home."

Before anyone could respond, Asuka leaped to the nearest submerged building and leaped to the next one like rocks in a pond on her way to the angel.

"Watch this, Third," she said as she leaped into the air and raised her blade overhead.

With a might swipe, the blade came down upon the angel and split it in two straight down the middle. Asuka landed on the roof behind the angel, stood, and turned to her teammate who watched the momentary event in awe.

"That's how a battle should be – clean and elegant."

Asuka proudly stood atop her pedestal as if she thought she were a Romanesque statue as David watched her gloat safely from the shore.

Suddenly the angel's mutilated body shook and its two whole bodies shifted to become two slightly smaller replicas of its former body. Asuka, David, and the entire NERV crew watched in horror as the battle had yet to be ended.

David and Asuka cowered in their seats as the executive powers of NERV watched a news report on their mission. Commander Langley and Commander Gillian watched in furious silence as the children tried to hide their eyes from the image of the angel driving each of their EVAs head-first into the ground.

"Earlier today," said the news reporter on the screen, "NERV experienced an embarrassing loss at the hands of an angel today. After what seemed to be a clear victory, the angel split into two individual bodies and attacked the Evangelions. However, as the Evangelions were defeated, the UN military launched a series of N2 mines at the angel. Though the angel was not destroyed, it was weakened and forced to retreat back into the ocean."

Asuka shamefully looked back at her father as he flashed a furious glare at her and she quickly turned back. David did not feel as daring to look at Commander Gillian.

"This is embarrassing," growled Captain Harrison. "We were humiliated."

Not wanting to go down with David, Asuka sprang to her feet and pointed a prosecuting finger to her partner.

"It wasn't my fault," she declared. "It was his fault. Because he stood there instead of giving me back-up, we were easily separated and defeated."

David took offense to the girl's accusations and stood to defend his case. "You were the one who charged in by yourself and disregarded orders."

"Shut up!" yelled the captain. "You two bicker like little children while the world laughs at us. You're going to learn to work as a team or we're done for."

The teenagers scowled at each other and, surprisingly, shouted the same thing in their defense, "How can I work with this immature brat?"

The captain retired to her unkempt office. Contrary to her petite, kind personality, she lacked time and focus to clean her office. She tiredly looked at the strewn about papers and folders and dumped her body in her squeaky, spinning desk chair. Just as she let her head hit the desktop, she heard a rapping at her door. She lifted her head disdainfully yet tried to put forth a smile as she told the person to enter. The knob rattled as the door opened and in walked Kate Oliver with a manilla portfolio in hand. The doctor greeted her long-time friend and dropped the portfolio on the desk in front of the captain.

"What's this?" asked the captain as if she really didn't want to know.

"Complaints about the failed mission," Kate cheerfully answered.

"This is it?" Emily exclaimed. "I thought there would be more."

"Oh, there's more. This is just a preview. There's an entire stack that would sitting in my office that would cover your desk."

"Why are they in your office?"

"I put them there. If they were left in here, you'd lose them."

"On purpose or on accident?"

"That's a good question. So, what are you going to do about the most recent angel attack?"

The captain rested her in her hand and flicked the corner of the portfolio. "I don't know. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," the doctor answered reaching into her lab coat pocket. She pulled out a small audio tape and laid it in Emily's hand.

"Thanks, Kate. I owe you one."

"Actually, it's not my plan. Commander Langley gave it to me to give to you. I suggest you start making room in your house."

"Make room? Why?"

"Why?" whined Asuka and David.

"Because Commander Langley said so," replied the captain. She caught up with the pilots before they both left headquarters and thought it would be best to go ahead and give them a briefing of their coming mission. "Asuka, pack your bags because your dad says I'm your new guardian."

"Do you mean I have to live with you and that baka?" Asuka yelled pointing at the boy beside her.

"You never did tell me what a 'baka' is," David said.

"It's Japanese for 'idiot.'"

"I thought you were German."

"I'm half-German half-Japanese. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, I just have problem with you using words I don't understand to insult me."

"I'll insult however I damn well please, Third!"

"Shut up!" interrupted the captain. "You two will be living together so you can learn to work together for the next battle with the angel. For the next week and from now you will live together, eat together, and train together until you are one well-oiled, unified, angel-defeating machine."

Emily shook her fist toward the sky, bound and determined to defeat the enemy. The children looked at each other and groaned.

Asuka walked through the door of her new home and smelled the pine scent Emily sprayed often. She slipped off her shoes and treaded carefully deeper into the apartment. She grazed the smooth kitchen countertop and turned right to look down the narrow hallway where the two bed rooms were. Asuka heard a grunt and she switched out of her feeling of wonder to see David stumbling through the doorway carrying a pile of boxes with her name scribbled on them.

"Be careful with my stuff," she yelled. "Just put it down over here for now then go get the rest."

David stopped at Asuka's side and slowly set the pile of boxes on the floor. As he stood he held his aching back then turned and walked out the door to continue bringing Asuka's belongings. As passed through the exit, Emily stepped aside then she entered her apartment to welcome the new tenant.

"What do you think, Asuka?" the gentle woman asked. "It's not lap of luxury I would assume comes with being the daughter of Commander Langley, but at least it's home."

Asuka slowly walked around the kitchen counter, and crossed the wooden dining table. At the other end of the table, on the left side of the room was an open way into the living room where set the television and an empty bookcase aside from a few in the lower left hand corner. Still standing at the end of the dining table, Asuka looked up the ceiling fan overhead. Asuka took a moment to compare the modest normalcy of her new home to her home in Germany.

"I like it," the young pilot replied.

"I'm glad. I don't have much time to renovate anyway. If there's anything you need Asuka, just ask me and I'll do what I can."

Asuka sported a sly grin. "Are you so sure about that? I can be quite demanding."

"Well, if I'm not around, David will help. He likes to help around here when he can."

"I refuse to ask that idiot for help," Asuka huffed.

"Well, you did talk him into packing all of your stuff here, so he can't be all that bad."

Asuka rolled her eyes and then walked down the hallway to the bedrooms. "So, where am I going to sleep?"

"For this week, you and David will be sharing the same room."

Asuka slammed her hand against the wall and balled the hand in a fist. "What? You mean I have to share a bed with that pervert?"

"Oh, heavens no, Asuka. You'll have your own bed. What kind of ship do you think I run here?" Emily chuckled. Asuka wasn't as amused.

That night Asuka and Emily sat at the table as David prepared their supper. David carried his frying pan over to the table and used a fork to lay a bratwurst on each person's plate. Asuka looked at the food and groaned as David returned with sauerkraut.

"I'm sorry, Asuka," said the boy. "We can't drink beer. Is a Pepsi fine with you?"

"What is this?" asked the annoyed girl.

"Well, I figured I'd welcome you to your new home by cooking a few German favorites," said the cheerfully ignorant David.

Asuka pushed herself away from the table and stood. "I'm not going to put up with this. I'm not hungry anymore." The young German girl stormed back to the bedroom.

David felt confused at Asuka's rejection of his sympathy and looked at Emily as if she had an answer. The guardian shrugged.

"David missed school today," said Cullen as he and Anne walked up the three flights of stairs to Emily's floor.

"It is most peculiar," replied Anne. "It is quite peculiar."

"I mean I know he's a little distraught over everyone knowing pilots EVA, but lately people having been changing their minds about it. They actually think it's cool now. I can't blame them."

"Well, that's your opinion," said Anne slightly annoyed.

"How could it not be? You get to fight monsters in a giant robot!"

"You would not understand unless you were to pilot in battle."

Cullen stopped to think about it then threw his empathy away to catch up with Anne. Anne approached the apartment front door and gently knocked.

"We're coming," replied two simultaneous voices. Cullen and Anne looked at each other wondering what was going then the door opened. Cullen's jaw dropped as he saw Asuka with his little brother strapped to her back. David looked over his shoulder and waved nervously.

"Hey."

Anne attempted to greet them politely, but Cullen interrupted her. "What's going here? David, you dog!"

"It's not like that! It's not what it looks like."

"You mean you aren't strapped back to back?" asked the confused Anne. "What is this about David being a dog, Cullen? He still looks human to me."

"Emily is making us do this," answered David and Asuka simultaneously. "This is part of training to get in synch with each other. We have to dress alike, eat together, sleep together…"

"David! You dog!" yelled the excited Cullen.

"It's not like that!"

The door opened more and Emily poked her into the conversation. With a cheerful wave she greeted the brother and co-pilot. "Welcome, everyone! Come inside. Asuka and David are just about to move on to step two."

Cullen and Anne sat on the living room couch as Emily tied Asuka's wrists to David. Asuka growled as David whimpered in fear of messing up and suffering her wrath. Emily walked over to the stereo and pressed the play button. An excerpt from Swan Lake began to play and Emily took a seat between Cullen and Anne.

"Okay, do the choreography just like before," said the captain.

"Do we have to?" whined Asuka.

"Of course, and the sooner you get it right, the sooner you can take a break."

Inspired by Emily incentive Asuka began yelling directions for David.

"Left. Right. Kick. Spin. No, the other way. Stick out your arm. Ow! Not that far, dumbkoff! My shoulder does bend like that! Do it right!"

David panicked and began doing random movements without Asuka's orders. Needless to say, Asuka didn't know what to do and she began cursing him for confusing her. She retaliated by bending over and hauling David onto her back like before. David continued to panic and shifted his weight and turned Asuka over. David landed on his feet and lifted Asuka onto his back.

"Baka! What the hell are you doing? Do the choreography like before!"

"At least she can't hit me when tied to me like this," David thought.

Asuka kicked her feet and reversed her weight to overtake David. David soon found himself on Asuka's back again. Asuka screamed ran backwards, ramming David's defenseless body into the wall. Emily gasped and rushed to her charge's aid. She unbuckled David and began fanning him.

"Asuka! What have you done?"

"Ended this stupid training. I'll be back in a few."

Asuka harrumphed and stormed out of the room.

"What?" screamed Emily. "Where are you going?"

Without an answer the front door slammed shut, leaving everyone speechless.

"My head hurts," whined David as he rubbed his forehead.

Asuka retreated to a small convenience store. It was beginning to become late and young girls weren't advised to be out by themselves at the time. Even though, Asuka strolled casually through the aisles looking comfort of the edible kind. She walked up to the cooler and looked over the selection of sodas.

"How dare that idiot embarrass me? How does that imbecile call himself an EVA pilot?"

Asuka angrily pulled open the fridge door and snatched a grape soda. She turned and walked up to the counter and the cashier checked the price.

"That'll be one dollar and twenty five cents," he said.

"What? That's ludicrous! I pilot an Evangelion! I demand a discount if not for free!"

"That's cute. You kids will come up with the craziest stories to get out of paying for stuff. If you don't have the money go get your mom or your dad to do it."

"They are not with me."

"That's not good. Little girls like yourself shouldn't be wandering around town this late alone."

"I am not a little girl. I am Asuka Langley Soryu, the pilot of Evangelion Unit 02! My father is Commander Franz Langley of the German branch of NERV! I'm the damn German ambassador around here so I demand free soda."

"No can do, little girl. I don't care if you're Death himself, I can't let you have this soda for anything less than a buck and a quarter. I've got a family to feed."

"Your family would be destroyed without me!"

Suddenly a hand slipped a one-dollar bill and a quarter onto the countertop. Asuka and the cashier looked at the money and they turned to see the dealer.

"What are you doing here, David?" Asuka growled.

"Making sure you get back home safely."

"You know each other?" asked the cashier.

"Yeah, we live together," answered David.

"But not by choice," Asuka added.

"Come on, Asuka. We've got to go."

Asuka scowled at her partner then snatched her soda and followed David out of the door.

The two strolled along the sidewalk as the streetlights began to brighten. The sky turned a glowing orange as dusk came.

"Asuka, why are an EVA pilot?" asked David to break the silence.

Asuka glared at David, but her ego would not let the question go unanswered. "Because it is my duty. It is my destiny to pilot EVA. Why do you?"

David pondered his answer for a moment, before giving a vague answer of, "I don't know."

"That's comforting. This world is entrusted to the hands of little boy who doesn't know what he's doing."

"Well, I wasn't given much choice whether I wanted to do it. My dad just looked at me one day and said, 'David, it has come time to prove your existence is worth something.' So, I packed my bags and went into a week of intense training and came out piloting Unit 01."

Though she did not want to show it, Asuka felt sympathy for David's plight.

"I don't really want to do it," he continued, "but if it's all I'm good for than I guess I've got to do it."

Asuka felt a cold shiver throughout her body. Forgoing her duty as pilot she decided to divert from the plan.

"David, I'm tired. I don't feel like going back to Emily's yet."

"But we've got to keep training."

"Screw training. We've got six days to work on beating the angel."

"I guess you're right."

"Let's go see a movie."

"I guess we can do that. But what will we tell Emily?"

"We don't have to tell her anything. Come with me."

Being the controller she is, Asuka grabbed David by the wrist and dashed down the street in search of the theater.

And so Asuka kept her word and made sure to work extra hard to work with David, who returned the favor and worked just as hard. The two managed to pass the trial of being tied to each other. They did exercises where a blindfolded David fell trustingly into Asuka's arms however Asuka playfully let him fall. Despite Asuka's practical jokes, when it was Asuka's turn to fall, David caught her. The two learned to cook as a tandem leading to a few nights of a satisfying supper and less stereotypical German dinners. The two spent many hours at the arcade playing DDR to the point they attracted crowds to watch them train. Much to her disgust, Asuka was forced to listen to David's SDAT player with him.

"It needs more techno music."

"Are you ready?' asked the captain.

Having been in training for the entire week, the children nodded. It was a frustrating endeavor, but both felt their duty as pilots was top priority. Asuka gripped her controller inside the entry plug as David reviewed the plan in his head.

"Remember this time you are hitting the angel with simultaneous attack," reminded Emily. "You're not charging in with a rash solo attack, Asuka."

Asuka buzzed in over the com-link. "I know. Sheesh! Can't make a mistake every once in a while?"

Feeling confident wards' abilities, Emily grinned and signaled for the Evangelion to be prepared for launch. The massive beasts shook as the platforms they were standing on moved backward toward the elevator shaft.

"Are you ready, Asuka?" asked David.

"I'm ready to kick this angel's butt, and then I won't have to listen to your SDAT anymore," she replied.

"Do you have a problem with my music selection?"

"No, I have a problem with you using inferior technology such as the SDAT."

"Fine! We'll get this done in sixty seconds like planned."

Sparks flew signaling the clash of metal as the platform shot the EVA into the overhead shaft. Clocks appeared in each Unit's console, counting down from sixty. Above ground, the seventh angel waited. The ground opened as Units 01 and 02 rocketed into the sky and sailed over the angel's head. Angered, the angel threw several energy blasts at the EVA only for them to gracefully back handspring out of harm's way. When clear the Unit 01 charged into the angel as Unit 02 followed suit close behind. Feeling outnumbered the angel split its self again to make the fight two-on-two. The EVA split and took cover as the angel began a tandem attack of its own. The EVA picked up their guns and began firing at the angel's two separate bodies and joined with its self again. The EVA charged at the angel and leaped into the air as the countdown began to dwindle into the single digits. The EVA rained down upon the angel with tandem kick into its weak spot. The sheer drove the angel back as the strike burned through its glassy core. The seventh angel was terminated.

The next day of school was one of the easiest in David's recent memory. He'd seemed to have redeemed himself for past actions and the kids had become more curious about becoming pilots.

"I'm sorry, but that information is top secret," he answered.

It seemed life was changing for the better in David's case. All was being forgiven, except one person still felt bitter toward David, and he attempted to confront Davy again as the three EVA pilots left the school building to head to headquarters together.

"Where are you going, Gillian?" asked Troy. Though not an ugly brute, he still packed a hard punch as David found out the hard way.

"We're going to NERV. We've got synch tests and all."

"I'm going," he declared.

"Sorry, but you can't. You're not a pilot."

"Why not? Why is that they let a coward like you be a pilot, but not me?"

Asuka decided to butt in and stepped in front of David. "Because you're an idiot. David may one too, but at least he's not an incompetent meat head like you."

Troy smiled at Asuka, completely ignoring her insults. "What's your name again? Asuka? Look, I've got no problem with you, but a puny, little twerp like this guy doesn't deserve this much praise and to hang out beautiful women such as yourself."

As Troy punctuated his sentence his last ounce was pounded out of him by a knee to his stomach. As Troy doubled over, Asuka struck him with a thunderous back hand that leveled the star athlete. The schoolyard gathered around the shocking incident as Asuka stood tall over her fallen opponent.

"Did you do that to defend me, Asuka?" asked a shocked pilot of Unit 01.

Asuka glared at her partner then turned back, folded her arms and snubbed her nose in the air. "No, I've been waiting all day to do that since I caught the perv trying to look up my skirt.

The pilots exited the silent schoolyard fulfilled by a new day uninterrupted by the terror that seemed to follow their young lives.


	10. Chapter Ten: The Beast That Sleeps

A/N: Sorry to the few reading that it took me so long to get this chapter finished. I've been swamped in work to do, writer's block, and there are just some days when you don't feel like typing anything. You understand don't ya? P

Anyway, on to the chapter. Despite it being shorter than the previous few chapters, I'm definitely happier with it. To me, this is where the storyline really makes some steam towardbreaking off the storyline. It's a story that features Asuka mostly, but things will balance themselves out starting next episode. I even got to make another attempt at an action-packed fight. I must warn you that I am a horrible action writer, but I had some fun with this one and I hope you'll have fun reading it.

---

Episode Ten – The Beast That Sleeps Within

In the year after Second Impact, Earth was sent into a time where the world was called "Hell." Those that saw it with their own eyes described it no other way. The skies roared. The oceans refused to settle. The rock beneath every person's feet shook. The earth opened to show its rumbling underbelly to the fearing public.

As time progressed, the world settled into its new era. The weather calmed. The oceans washed away the abandoned cities. The remains of the seven continents were six large islands. The world settled into normalcy, but the Earth never stays the same for long. The Earth continued to rumble and quake.

York-3 shook. Luckily there were few injuries. The thing that worried the citizens, though, was news of a chasm that had been opened in the Catskills. It was an unnatural occurrence for an earthquake to cause the creation of volcanic pit in a mountain range. NERV thought it was reason enough to investigate.

"Lower it further," commanded Captain Harrison.

She watched the large screen in front of the control room as a technician remotely operated specially-designed camera descent into the magma pit.

"We can't find anything," reported the technician.

"Keep going," commanded the captain. "Go another five hundred."

The heavy armor of the suited camera cracked.

A mechanical voice reported the damage over the PA. "Depth1200 – the pressure resistant partition is cracking."

As the room of experienced crew tried to explain they were too deep, Harrison cut them off with a command to go another two hundred. "NERV will pay for the damage."

"We're getting a reading," yelled another distressed technician.

Harrison immediately turned her head and demanded an analysis. The technician, startled by her sudden reaction, frantically pushed the button. The lights flickered and machine blipped and pinged as the captain watched intently. Seconds into the analysis a problem arose as the partition finally gave into the pressure and imploded. The technician's screen turned to fuzz, but she did not look away.

"Did you get anything?" she asked. A horrible fear shook her body as the words left her mouth.

"Just barely," the technician answered.

The technician played back the readings and paused on the image of large fetus, curled up in the warmth of the magma.

"Then there's no doubt," Harrison said as she saw the picture. The image burned itself into her memory as she recognized the only thing it could be. "It's an angel."

Elsewhere Asuka Langley Soryu clenched her fist as tensed her muscles as if it were to affect her synch ratio with Unit 02.

"Asuka, you can relax," said Dr. Oliver. "If you relax, it'll help."

Asuka's muscles gradually loosened as she glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the stern glare of her father on the observation deck. She took a deep breath and allowed her body to sink into the seat of her entry plug. She closed her eyes and steadily breathed.

Dr. Oliver watched the readings over the shoulder of her assistant, Maya. The pattern of greens and blues was foreign to most as were the meaning of the numbers she read, but they made sense to the experienced woman of science.

"Wow!" exclaimed Maya. "Asuka's gone up a full five points from her last test."

"Then I guess she's ready for a break," said the Kate as she pressed a button turned on the intercom. "Asuka, you've done a good job today. You're free to go."

Asuka's eyes opened as the words of praise tweaked her ear. "Of course, I did a good job. I'm Asuka Langley Soryu!"

Asuka grinned with exuberant satisfaction. She'd finished her tests in record time and was anxious to get back to the apartment and wait for David to fix dinner. She dreamed about the many delicious dishes he'd been taught.

"I wonder what he'll fix tonight. Fish? Curry?" she thought.

Asuka's tangent wondering was suddenly interrupted by the steely glare of her father. Though his daughter was cheerful and she'd gotten her praise as a pilot, he still looked displeased with her. His scorn shattered her moment of glory.

After a shower to wash the rusty stench of LCL off of her body, Asuka dressed and was greeted by her father outside the locker room.

"Father! What are you doing here?"

"Don't get too excited to leave yet. I suggest you get back in your plug suit."

Before Asuka could argue, the Commander's stern, commanding countenance made it perfectly she was to abide.

"An angel has been found in a nearby mountain range," he stated. "It is still in an embryonic state and thus it is imperative that we retrieve the angel before it hatches and becomes a threat. Your special equipment has been prepared."

"Special equipment?"

"The angel is laying dormant deep inside a bed of magma. A special suit designed to withstand the temperature and pressure has been issued to your EVA."

"Why do I have to do it? Don't you have two other pilots?"

"We do, but I insisted you be the pilot on your behalf."

"Why?"

"Because you're Asuka Langley Soryu. Surely you are not afraid." There was a sinister humor in his inflection that sparked Asuka's hate.

Asuka turned and headed back into the locker room to change into her plug suit. Why was she piloting? Was it because of her duties as a pilot, as loyal gesture being the daughter, or to spite his mocking of her?

As Asuka was finishing her change, a shy boy's voice coursed through the room.

"Is it safe to come in?"

David timidly poked his head into the door, only to face a slightly irritated.

"What is it, Third? Are you trying to get a peak? Well, I'm already changed so there!"

"I told you I'm the i First /i Child, and I've actually been waiting on you to finish changing so I can hurry up and get in my plug suit."

"Are you going on the mission too?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Asuka groaned and rolled her eyes. "Why the Hell do I get stuck with you? What are you supposed to do anyway?"

"Back-up."

"Back-up? I need back-up?" Asuka stood and put her hands on her hips. She snarled at the confused boy like she'd been insulted.

"No! It's not like that!"

"It's your bastard father. He can't get it through his head that you're useless."

David bit his lip and looked away from the verbal onslaught. "Asuka, I'd like to change clothes now," he said sadly.

"Fine!" Asuka threw her arms in the air and stormed out of the room.

The EVAs were sortied and Asuka was unhappy with the special suit she'd been given. At first glance it seemed like her normal red plug suit, but after pressing a new button on her wrist the suit expanded like a balloon. This was hardly her idea of fashionable, but she was in her EVA and being flown to the mysterious chasm to capture the EVA.

"God, I hate this suit," she grumbled. "It's even worse for my poor Unit 02."

Indeed Unit 02 had been specially suited as well for the mission with a suit similar to a deep sea diver.

"Don't worry about it, Asuka," said Emily over the intercom. "Just think, the sooner you get this done, the sooner you'll get out of it."

Asuka nodded as Emily ended the call. Emily slowly lifted her finger from the button as a feeling of worry tugged at her thoughts. She glanced out of the corner at the tall, statue-like Commander Langley.

"You do know that if she fails, the Japanese branch NERV will be erased as well as every person involved," he warned.

"I do," Emily confirmed, "but you should have more faith in your daughter."

"I do have faith. Faith is in me through and through. But Asuka is only human."

As Asuka and David reached the chasm, they found a giant crane waiting to lower Asuka and Unit 02 in the molten earth below. Asuka felt a cold shiver breeze across her body between her skin and the plug suit. She tightened her grip on the controls to Unit 02, acting like as a hug as best she could. She swallowed her oncoming fear just in time for David's voice to break through her intercom.

"Hey, Asuka, good luck."

"I don't need your best wishes, Third!" she yelled in response.

"I don't mean to insult you."

"Forget it. Sit back and watch." Asuka sighed as David went silent again.

Soon Unit 02 was hooked up and lifted over the overwhelming pool of magma. Unit 02 was slowly worried and Asuka's nagging anxiety grew more and more consuming. Her body began to sweat as the heat reached out to greet her. Unit 01 and David anxiously watched as the machine eased her down slowly.

Silently he whispered, "Good luck, Asuka."

"David!" called Asuka over the intercom. David's head quickly shot up and he watched as Unit 02 began to break the surface of the magma. It spread it legs like a mid-hurdle as the feet dipped. "Giant stroke entry!"

David groaned and leaned over onto his side, resting his head in his hand.

Inside Unit 02 Asuka groaned as the temperature inside her entry plug rose. The heat-resistant equipment may have kept her from being incinerated, but it sure didn't feel like a cool dip in the pool. Her mind was flooded with curses toward her selfish pride for undertaking such an uncomfortable mission, but it was a simple one and she took solace in being able to take a bath to wash off the stink of her sweat.

Maya, the technical crew member, announced Asuka's continuously increasing depth. "Now reaching 200! 300! 400!"

On the surface, David watched nervously as the bundle of cables suspending Asuka and providing coolant to her EVA disappeared into red-glowing liquid.

"It feels like a sauna in here," whined Asuka.

"1000! 1100!"

"It's alright, Asuka" said Emily. "You're doing fine. You're only a few hundred feet away from the target. After we get this thing, we'll go to a hot spring or go shopping. Whatever you want."

"Sweet!"

"We're approaching the target," reported Maya. "1700! 1800! 1900!"

"Do you see it, Asuka?" asked Emily.

Deep inside the Earth's molten belly, Asuka's visibility was poor but neither her eyes nor her equipment could find any sign of their target. "Negative," she replied.

"It seems we have miscalculated the rate of convection," declared Dr. Oliver.

Emily glared at her comrade and quickly reacted by commanding Unit 02 being lowered further.

"2100! 2200! We're reaching the maximum allowed depth."

"Keep going," the captain demanded.

Another technician, a near-sighted young man, spun around in his seat in surprise from the order. "But Unit 02 is going to crack if we don't pull her out soon. The pressure-"

"But we haven't made contact with the target. Recalculate and find that angel," Emily ordered. "Asuka, are you okay?"

Confident as always Asuka replied, "I'm okay. I can keep going. Emily's right, I still haven't found the angel."

"2500! Maximum allowed depth! Maximum allowed depth plus 100! Plus 200!"

The overwhelming pressure dented Unit 02's special suit. The beast rumbled. Asuka gritted her teeth and held her EVA tightly.

"Plus 500! Plus 600!"

"We're approaching the corrected destination," announced the nervous technician.

"Asuka, do you see it?" asked Emily.

"I'm trying. The visibility sucks down here." Asuka panned around the empty area with little to spark her interest. She began to mutter an order to lower her further when she a nearing object in the magma. "I see it. I see the angel."

The crew sighed briefly as the curled up monstrosity floated toward Asuka and Unit 02. Asuka hovered closer and raised a frame around the dormant angel. With the press of a button a cage of electromagnetic energy surrounded the angel and the words, "Target Captured," lit every screen at NERV headquarters. The crew sighed again.

"Good job, Asuka," said Emily.

"Pish-posh," said Asuka. "This was almost too easy. For a second there I thought this was going to end wrong. Now reel us in, I've got a bath to take."

Asuka's words rang through David entry plug and he smiled in knowing she was okay and ready to go.

"Who's ready for some coffee?" asked Emily.

The crew let out a collective gasp as the stress let out all at once. Emily's bright smile was soon overcome by blinking red lights and the "Alert!" sign blazing. Asuka's cage rumbled as a light emitted from the embryo.

"What's going on?" asked a distressed Asuka.

"It's waking up!" yelled Dr. Oliver.

The light brightened and the electromagnetic cage shattered as the angel took a new form. Veiny wings sprouted from its shoulders and its head took the shape of a mythical, scaly beast. Asuka swung away from newborn angel as its body adjusted to new life. It roared a terrible cry that rang in Asuka's ears and it swam into the blindness of the magma.

"There's been a change of plans, Asuka," announced Emily. "Destroy that angel."

"Will do," Asuka assured her guardian and captain. However her visibility was still poor. With the change of plans, the cable stopped moving so she was stuck to fighting the angel then and there. "I will if I can find it," she mumbled under her breath.

Asuka tried to keep an eye for the angel, but it was useless. Deep in the Earth she was blind. She was bait on the line and all she could do was wait for it to move. Unfortunately for her move came at a moment when she was not looking to her side. She was quickly able move over the angel's lunge attack, but it quickly disappeared into the sea again.

"Guys, I can't see it. I can't find it. I'm like a sitting duck."

Asuka quickly snapped her head forward to see the beast swimming like a fish through the magma. It made a sharp turn and she saw it quickly toward her.

"It's coming for me. I don't know what to do."

"Use the progressive knife," said Emily.

Asuka quickly grabbed her weapon as the angel rammed into her dangling EVA and latched onto it. Asuka reeled back her arm then drove the knife hard into the beast body. However, the strike was deflected by the angel's seemingly advanced hard shell body.

"It seems that the angel's physical make-up was affected by it being born inside the magma," said Dr. Oliver, quite surprised by the revelation.

"Yeah, I can see that," responded an irritated Captain Emily Harrison. "How do we beat it?"

"I don't know."

The angel wrapped its arms around Unit 02 as Asuka felt helpless to stop it. She attempted to penetrate its shell again, but the blade shattered from the second attempt. The monster opened its gaping mouth as a second set of teeth lunged out of its head like a leech and spread over Unit 02 heat-resistant helmet.

"I'm sorry. I don't usually go this far on a first date," Asuka said grunting as she fought the monster's grip. She tossed the broken knife and reached up to the angel's bottom jaw. The force ripped the monster's mouth off of her and with her other arm she pushed off one of the angel's arms. The angel held onto her other side and Asuka gave it a downward elbow to dislodge it. The angel shrieked and Asuka called it to attack again. The angel swam back into the magma but just before it disappeared u-turned and headed straight for another head-on attack. Asuka braced herself for another dive. The angel neared and as she leaped, the angel made a sharp left. Asuka floated helplessly in mid-dive as the angel quickly swiped at the safety cable. The cable severed as Asuka realized she was doomed.

"I'm not done yet!" she growled. Asuka narrowly grabbed the angel's ankle as it swiftly swam to the surface.

"David, prepare to fight," ordered Emily. "The angel's coming straight for you." David watched the magma pool carefully and quietly. Suddenly a winged beast flew out of the chasm and into the air, with Unit 02 holding onto it for dear life.

"Asuka!" David cried.

Asuka grunted as she yanked on the monster's leg. Irritated by her determination, the angel kicked Unit 02 in the face with its free leg and Unit 02 lost its grip.

"Asuka!" David cried again as he watched Unit 02 plummet to the ground. The Evangelion crashed into the mountain side and kicked up a mighty dust storm. "Asuka, are you alright?"

A groan rang through the intercom. "That hurt." David, utilizing the Evangelion's abilities, leaped over the chasm and sprinted to Asuka's side. As he reached her fallen EVA, the angel crossed his path and knocked him flat on his back. The angel lashed at Unit 01 it arm, but David back-rolled out of harm's way. David sprang to his feet and lunged at the angel with a right hand, but it quickly spun around and knocked him down with its tail.

"David!" Asuka cried. Asuka looked around her entry plug for some sort of inspiration for a plan to defeat the angel. "How are we supposed to beat this thing?" She then saw the crane reeling in the severed end of her safety line. The coolant was still pumping through the cable. Asuka groaned as she shakily rose to her feet. The heavy suit slowed her movements as she sprinted toward the cable. The angel saw her movement as diverted its attention from the floored Unit 02 to her. It lunged at her slow moving body like a predator on a wounded animal as she reached the chasm's edge.

"David!" yelled Asuka.

David groaned and responded, "What is it Asuka?"

"Remember that lesson on thermal expansion? Get that cable that pumping coolant. Hurry!"

The angel opened its jaw again and bit into the heavy armor, letting out a whistling steam from the cracks. With the angel's attention on Asuka, David stood up and made a dash for the crane. The angel spotted him and rose to its feet. It picked up air and zoomed after Unit 01. David reached the edge of the chasm and leaped toward the cable. As the angel nudged his back, Unit 01 grabbed the cable and swung out of harm's way. David screamed as the moment was sudden and frightening. The cable carried Unit 01 around in a 360 degree pattern as the angel turned around to meet him. The two collided as David wrapped his legs around the beast's abdomen and shoved the coolant into its throat. The angel found its self trapped and its body began to shiver as cool air filled its lungs. Its shell paled and David drew his progressive knife with which to drive into the beast's belly. The angel's screams were muffled by coolant entering its body. Then its body went limp and David let go of it. Its weakened, pale body fell into the magma where it melted back into the Earth where it was born.

David panted from his dangling perch high above the chasm. The crew at NERV sighed as the screens flashed, "Angel Terminated." Asuka looked at David hanging from the crane's end. David's body violently shivered.

"Somebody get me down from here."

After being rescued from his precarious position, David and his roommates decided to take a relaxing dip at the hot spring. It was quite an interesting experience for Emily and David as it was designed like Japanese onsen. Asuka, having visited the land of the rising sun with her mother once or twice, was a little more used the atmosphere. With no one to yell at and order him, David laid back against the wall of the boys' side of the spring and draped a dampened towel over his face. He sighed of relief after such a day. "Exhausting" felt like an understatement to him.

"We should celebrate like this more often," he thought.

Suddenly he felt a hard peck on his face. His head shit up, flinging the towel into the steamy water, opened his eyes and looked around to see no one there.

"Hey, Davy!" yelled Asuka from the other side of the wall separating the men's side form the ladies'. A small pebble floated over the top of the wall and landed on the top of his head.

"What is it, Asuka?" he grumbled.

"We ran out of body shampoo. Can we borrow yours?"

"Of course," he answered happily. His smile quickly changed to a frown as he grumbled about how they always used his stuff at the house anyway. David picked up the bottle of flowery-smelling soap, turned, and remembered there was a wall. "How am I supposed to give this to you?"

"Just toss it over, dork."

The answer was almost too simple and meant too little physical exertion on David's part to be an Asuka plan, but nonetheless he complied. "Here it comes! 1! 2! 3!" David hurled the bottle over the bottle.

"I'll catch it! Ow!" A thump was heard then David realized he made a blunder. "You lunkhead, you missed!"

"Are you okay, Asuka?" asked Emily.

"He hit me in my most special part."

The words "special part" tweaked David's thoughts like vague terms often do. He began to wonder what Asuka considered her "special part" and he settled on the part that young boys often do.

"Yeah, that's awfully big bump on your head," Emily commented as she chuckled.

"It's not funny," Asuka yelled back. "It hurts."

"I hit you on the head?" David asked after coming to realize he didn't hit her where he thought he hit her and feeling embarrassed for such a perverted assumption.

"Yes, doofus! Where else? What could be more special than the brain of the greatest Evangelion pilot to have ever lived?"

David pondered the question and felt a rush of warmth flow through his body, though it didn't feel like hot spring water. Embarrassed, he slowly sank into the depths of the water and began to watch bubbles he made float to the surface.

On the other side of the wall Asuka and Emily sat and watched the sunset over the hills. Asuka looked inquisitively toward her awe-inspired guardian as questions began to spring to her mind.

"Em, why did you join NERV?"

The guardian leaned back and looked over her shoulder at her ward. She smiled and answered, "You know how it is. Saving the world and excitement. I guess I just want to have stories to tell my grandchildren." The woman laughed heartily, but Asuka didn't seem to understand the reason. "Why are you an EVA pilot?"

Asuka gave no words as answer. Her eyes held a slight tint of shame and sadness, but it was all Emily needed to understand.

"Your dad seems to be a 'no nonsense' kind of guy. He's a real charmer," she said jokingly.

"I guess," Asuka muttered.

"Don't be so glum," Emily said cheerfully. "Even if I'm not your real mother, you're the closest thing I've got to a little sister or even a daughter and I intend on treating you as such."

Asuka's sorrowful expression didn't change.

"It's just you, me, and David and we're one, happy, makeshift family."

Asuka looked over to her guardian as she turned to watch the sunset again. Asuka let a grin creep onto her face.

---

A/N: I'm sorry I changed the appearance of Sandalphon, but I got the crazy image of the EVAs fighting a dragon in my head and I couldn't resist imagining that while writing. You can't deny the humor in Shinji-esque character screaming and jumping over a lava pit either.


End file.
